Storm Watch, 1/21/10

5:00 pm – Road Report – Plaskett – Ralph and Monte (god bless them) just cut all the way through Plaskett and Monte is continuing back to Alm’s Ridge. I asked how many trees were down, and Ralph said too many to count. Ralph got to just above Turkey Flats, and was turned away by a tree too large for his saw. Not Monte! His saw was big enough! I have moved my car off to the side for the duration, what with Nasty-Fergie’s messes. But remember, Plaskett is the fourth worst road in the WORLD per Steve Daus, so 4×4 and high clearance, ONLY!! Neighbors only, please. I am too sick to deal with looky-loos.

4:30 pm – SLIP OUT NEAR VILLA CREEK; CT WILL BE FLAGGING DURING THE DAY FROM 8-5 PM, CLOSED ALL OTHER TIMES. ALSO A MUD SLIDE NEAR KIRK CREEK AROUND 2:30 PM (SORRY, I WAS ASLEEP) WITH NO FURTHER AS TO WHETHER IT HAS BEEN CLEARED. LASTLY, A MUDSLIDE AT CACHAGUA AND TASSAJARA JSO OF CV RD. JUST REPORTED BY CHP.

1:15 pm – report from local re Nasty-Fergie: “Snow at the Noc driveway….it was about 4″ on the way out on Chalk Peak, about 6″ on the way back. There are a couple of big oaks down on the topish of Nasty-F; but was able to squeeze by. On their way back up, around 11:30 the County Crew was above Lion’s Den…..around the corner, working their way down. They have two D-8s. At Lion’s Den about 6-8″ of mud and debris, the big trees are ‘out of the way’. The paved road is gone at Lion’s Den. It is a waterfall there…..With high clearance and 4×4 one can get through…..if the workers will let you.”

I am still sleeping more than I am awake today, but doing what I can to stay up with local reports.

11:00 am – it is raining heavily, again, take that back, it is rain and slush. It is getting cold. In the past 24 hours, I only received 1 ” of rain, but expect that to double this afternoon, if this keeps up!

ROAD CLOSURE – JUST GOT A CALL FROM CAL-TRANS THAT THE ROAD IS CLOSED SOUTH OF GORDA FOR AN UNDETERMINED AMOUNT OF TIME DUE TO FLOODING AND THE ROAD BEING UNDERCUT!

CT- Press Release:

Date: Thursday, January 21, 2010
District: 5 – Santa Barbara, SLO, Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties
Contact: Susana Z. Cruz (Bilingual) or Colin Jones
Phone: (805) 549-3138 or (805) 549-3189
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OVERNIGHT CLOSURES ON HIGHWAY 1 BEGIN–NORTH OF RAGGED POINT

MONTEREY COUNTY – Overnight closures will begin today, Thursday, Jan. 21 from dusk to dawn due to roadway erosion on Hwy. 1 nine miles north of Ragged Point Inn, about seven miles into the Monterey County Line from San Luis Obispo.

A section of fill has been washed out by the surf due to recent heavy rains and it is necessary to have overnight closures when there is poor visibility of the road and hillside.

This segment of Hwy. 1 will remain open during the daytime with close monitoring and reverse one-way traffic control with flagging but closed overnight, indefinitely until the road is fixed. Caltrans has mobilized construction crews for repair.

If travelling from San Luis County to Monterey County, motorists are advised to take Hwy. 101 and Hwy. 68 as the suggested detour. Electronic message signs are posted to alert motorists of the overnight closures.

Businesses will remain open and Big Sur will be accessible from the north.

9:00 am – sorry. I have been sick, and slept much of yesterday. Looks like the same is happening today!! Sometime around 8 am, we had a mixture of rain and slush, but it just continues to rain up here, now.

Woke at 6:30 (and many times throughout the night) to the ever present sound of rain. Just normal rain — no hail, no gale force winds — just rain. Totals around 8 am.