Storm Watch, 3/3

7:30 pm – road was opened of both the slide “JSO” of Big Sur, and the tree at JP Burns. Unknown as to when cleared, as it did not show up on CHP site, until they were just “gone” at 7 pm, despite the fact that I had them “refreshing” on my desk top all night. Technology is great, except when it isn’t.

5:10 pm – ALERT!! CHP reporting a NEW mudslide, JSO of Big Sur. Blocking 1 and 1/2 lanes. No MM given (and the ex says all this should be PM (for post mile), but I’m stickin’ with MM.) “Big  Sur” is many things to many people, but often considered either River Inn, the ersatz beginning, or the State Park, the “central.” Hopefully. we’ll get further details, and a more accurate description than “JSO [Just South Of]” which is of no use. 

4:45 pm – just got a call from a friend who drove through JP Burns. She says it is a tree down, hanging over the road. One lane partially open, but RVs can’t get through due to the overhang, so they are being stopped or turned away. Single cars can get around and under.

4:30 pm – ALERT CHP REPORTS SLIDE AT JP BURNS. NO FURTHER DETAILS, at this time. Will report as information becomes available.

2:30 pm – It has rained on and off this afternoon. Some periods of short cloud bursts, and others of gentle rain, but the storm seems to be picking up right now, with some serious rain. Oh, yeah, 1/2 hour of serious rain, now at 3 pm.

BTW, I had never heard of Cal-Trans going out after dark, so I asked the ex about Cal-Trans  clearing the road after dark, as it did last night and early this morning — north or south crew. He said in his 28 years with Cal-Trans, this was a first. So a big round of applause for our North Coast Cal-Trans crew!! Please don’t put yourselves in danger. As much as we’d like the road kept open, we don’t want to see anyone hurt on our behalf.

Debbie sent me several more, but as can happen, I can’t upload them at the moment, but will as soon as possible. Here they are, as promised.

Ray and Ceila Sanborn in the middle photo, Kenny Wright in the last one.

Here are some photos of the Grange area. Photos courtesy of Debbie Reed.

 

 

 

Thanks, Debbie, and glad you, your critters, your home, and your vehicle are all okay!

8:45 am – I have some photos of the mud flows at Juan Higuera and the Grange to post, as soon as my technology cooperates. Blaze Engineering of Big Sur came to the rescue, once again, digging out all the mud. From Debbie:

“Juan Higuera Creek backed up again. My house is fine but access was impossible until this a.m.  Dave Martin plowed a way out for me and the Blaze Engineering crew is going back now to unplug the culvert.  More pictures later.

Last night from 10:00 p.m. to about 11:00 not sure I’ve ever heard it
rain so hard.  Another inch in the rain gauge after 3″ yesterday.”

And this from the NOAA forecast discussion:

AS OF 8:35 AM PST TUESDAY...ANOTHER ACTIVE MORNING
 ACROSS THE BAY REGION WITH MORE RAIN AND EVEN A THUNDERSTORM OR
 TWO. ... WILL HAVE TO MONITOR THE SOUTHERN EXTENT OF
 THIS LINE TO SEE IF IT IMPACTS THE BURN AREAS. THIS WILL BE MOST
 IMPORTANT FOR THE BIG SUR AREA...AS A FEW SLIDES AND DEBRIS FLOWS
 HAVE BEEN REPORTED OVERNIGHT.

7:45 am – report from friend in Big Sur Valley:

“Believe it or not, I measured only .20 inches at the rain gauge at the [MAF] station.  With all the sounds of rain last night, I thought there’d be a lot more.  I drove up to the web cam site and the river is flowing fast, but not terribly high through the park.  Redwood Creek (Pfeiffer Falls) overflowed again last night and brought some tree trunks down with it so I had to go out of the park through the sewer treatment plant.  Since I only go about a mile that was the only problem.”  

6:30 am – rain received overnight: .50 inches. That means 3.75 inches since Sunday afternoon. Saturation rapidly approaching. More rain expected today.

5:45 am – and this report just posted on the CHP website: “RDWAY OPEN ALL THE WAY FOR NOW PER CAL TRANS.” Note the operative words, “for now.” Could be messy today, so drive slowly, and carefully.

5:30 am – While I slept, it was a busy night on Highway One – per the CHP website, at around 12:30 am, Highway One has a “soft” closure at several points. One on the south is at MM 11.2 , which is Willow Creek Rd., but my experience tells me this is really at 10.4, the Cal-Trans Willow Springs Maintenance Station. The other closure is listed at Fuller’s Beach, approximately MM 42.2. This closure is listed as being for approximately 8 hours.

There was also a slide between Fernwood and the State Park, which trapped two cars, no injuries, which was expected to be cleared around 2 am. However, the mud continued to flow, so may not have reopened.

This from NOAA:

AT 110 AM CALTRANS REPORTS MULTIPLE MINOR SLIDES ALONG HIGHWAY 1
NEAR THE BURN AREAS. AT MILE MARKER 42 A DEBRIS FLOW HAD COVERED
THE ENTIRE ROAD WHICH HAD CAUSED IT TO BE CLOSED WHILE CREWS WORK
TO CLEAR IT.