As of 10 pm Tuesday night, Highway One is closed from Ragged Point on the south to just south of Palo Colorado Canyon. Cal Trans was successful in opening one lane by River Inn.

Per CHP as of 6:58 am, “…MM 57 IS COMPLETELY BLOCKED / STILL ACTIVELY SLIDING”.

8:02 am, “COUNTY ASKED … TO MOVE THE SLIDE TO JNO PALO COLORADO – TO BLOCK ACCESS TO PALO COLORADO”.

8:32 am (reports of lines down), “D5 WITH CALTRANS SUPERVISOR FOR BRIDGE DETAIL / REQ TO SEE IF LINES DOWN IN BIG SUR IF CREW CAN COME UP FRM BIG SUR OR IF THEY NEED TO GO FRM THE NORTH TO SOUTH TO CLEAR IT”.

9:12 am, “PATH CLEARED AT MM 57 AND WILL BE WORKING IN THAT AREA ALL DAY AND WILL BE LETTING VEHS THRU”.

Photo taken yesterday by Kodiak Greenwood.

From Monterey County Weekly here:

“The bridge is beyond repair,” says Caltrans spokeswoman Susana Cruz, based on a Feb. 21 structural assessment. “The time frame for a new bridge is unknown. We have a couple of days of dry weather, which will help us.”

Numerous cracks were found in the support column on Feb. 11 as a mudslide under the bridge shifted the concrete base.

Cruz estimates a replacement could take upward of a year—a long isolation for some 435 residents who live south of Pfeiffer Canyon, as well as dozens of restaurants and businesses. Access is also closed on Highway 1 to the south of Big Sur due to slides, and Nacimiento-Fergusson Road—the only east-west paved access—is also currently closed.

“The county is working on options,” Monterey County spokesperson Maia Carroll says. The county’s goal is to do a resupply within a couple of weeks.

So far, a medevac helicopter has been set up to transport Big Sur patients in case of medical emergencies.

The Big Sur Health Center will remain closed until we can get power, water and phones restored. If you are in need of medical advise or need prescription refills, please cal our number, (831) 667-2580, and speak with the answering service. For true emergencies, please call 911.  Be safe out there!

Click link below for full article from The Guardian:

Big Sur ravaged by floods, mudslides and storms: ‘Paradise can turn on you’

“When rocks stop falling, state workers can begin cleanup of the coastal highway – but authorities said many miles of this major highway could be closed for up to a year while the damaged bridge is restored or replaced.”

Note: We will be adding additional Pfeiffer Creek Bridge photos as things evolve.

Photo was taken Tuesday, Feb. 21 AM by Kristen Parkhurst

5 pm update: KION reporting the closure has been moved to Garrapata Beach.

Photos from yesterday and today show various slides and challenges on: (1-4) the Pfeiffer Cyn. Bridge (PM 45.5), (5-7) the River Inn (PM 49.03) and (8) Capt. Cooper School (PM 50)

Locals may travel in a truck, daytime only 1) between Ragged. Pt. and Lucia and 2) Molera Park Entrance and Granite Cyn. Bridge. Or north.

Another update regarding the Highway 1 Big Sur Coast will be provided around mid-morning tomorrow, Wednesday, Feb. 22.

NOTE: For information on emergency services for the Big Sur Coast, you may contact Gerry Malais, Mon. Co. OES via email at: malaisg@co.monterey.ca.us or Maia Carroll, Mon. Co. OES PIO at carrollm@co.monterey.ca.us or via phone at (831) 796-3092.

Susana Z. Cruz
Caltrans District 5
Acting Manager
Public Information Office

 

At 1200 AM PST Tuesday morning the stream gage on the Big Sur River near Big Sur reported a stage of 11.8 feet. Flood stage at this location is 10.0 feet. Steady moderate to heavy rain has ended across the area and only scattered showers are expected overnight. However, runoff from heavy rain earlier on Monday will maintain flood levels on the river overnight and into Tuesday morning.At 1200 AM PST Tuesday morning the stream gage on the Big Sur River near Big Sur reported a stage of 11.8 feet. Flood stage at this location is 10.0 feet. Steady moderate to heavy rain has ended across the area and only scattered showers are expected overnight. However, runoff from heavy rain earlier on Monday will maintain flood levels on the river overnight and into Tuesday morning.

(Zoe Esparza via Facebook)

(photos by lucasryancv)

From Cachagua Fire Facebook page:

Cachagua Residents living along Cachagua Rd between mile markers 1.2 and 5.5 are landlocked. They are blocked by a washout at 1.2 and a downed powerline at 5.5. Crews have been notified.

Cachagua Road is closed at mile marker 1.2 until further notice. The road has been completely destroyed and is impassable.

It looks like the runoff worked its way under the section of road (for about 100 yards) and the road is now gone.

Additional photos can be found on Cachagua Fire’s Facebook page here

CHP Detail Information:
6:43 AM 9 [11] ETA FOR CORDS THEY NEED TO BLOCK OFF BOTH SIDES
6:43 AM 8 [10] 1097 MM 1.1 THE RDWAY IS COMPLETELY UNDERMINED
6:41 AM 7 [7] PER CAL FIRE THEY ARE 98
5:13 AM 6 [6] 1039 27-62 FOR A WATCH
5:05 AM 5 [5] 1039 27-22G OIC
5:05 AM 4 [4] PER MTRY CALFIRE , RDWY IS GONE, REQ A HARD CLOSURE, MTRY CALFIRE WILL NTFY MTRY COM FOR CO RDS
4:44 AM 3 [3] 1039 27-22G 106 MY17
4:40 AM 2 [2] PER MTY COMM FIRE ENRT
4:40 AM 1 [1] LG PORTION OF THE RDWY IS WASHED AWAY
Unit Information
6:02 AM 2 Unit Assigned
6:44 AM 1 Unit At Scene
Click on Details for additional information.
Screen will refresh in 60 seconds.

Greetings,

During Friday afternoon’s conference call and until this evening, the northern closure of SR-1 in the Big Sur area was located at the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge, MPM 45.5. Effective immediately, the northern closure of SR-1 is being moved from the Pfeiffer Bridge to the Point Sur Lighthouse, MPM 54. This new location is being established based on continued inclement weather causing numerous, hazardous, active debris flows now extending for several miles north of the Pfeiffer Bridge creating a threat to public safety along SR-1. I’ve directed California Highway Patrol personnel to SR-1 at the Point Sur Lighthouse to man the new closure and provide appropriate law enforcement/public services until further notice. CalTrans will respond and assess the new debris flows and highway conditions during daylight hours on Tuesday, February 21. I apologize for any inconvenience this new closure may cause you, your staff and constituents. For current highway conditions in Monterey County, please refer to http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist05/road_information.htm You may also call 1-800-427-7623 for current highway conditions or find more information about roads, traffic and travel. My CHP 911 Communications may also be contacted anytime at (831) 796-2160.

Thanks,

Robb

Robert (Robb) Kaczor, Lieutenant

California Highway Patrol

 

From Susana Cruz at the DOT:

(RE: SIG ALERT-HWY 1 CLOSED) : SR-1 FULL CLOSURE MOVED SOUTH–RAGGED PT (SLO PM 72.87) TO JNO PT. SUR FACILITY (MON PM 54.5) AS OF 7PM. THIS INCLUDES LOCAL ACCESS.

Hello Everyone,

The following is the information for flights out of Big Sur for the residents in the area:

Thank you for all your calls to organize your flights in and out of Big Sur.  Below is the information for you to directly contact the company for your needs.  We have permission from Post Ranch to use their LZ but we still need to secure a LZ on the north side.  As mentioned before, the ball field will probably not be an option due to the condition of the day use road since the fire.  It will most likely be at Andrew Molera with State Parks permission.  The cost for the short hop between the PR LZ and Andrew Molera or wherever we set up the LZ will hopefully be quite reasonable.  Maybe a shuttle could be arranged back and forth.

Post Ranch LZ to Monterey Regional Airport will be $780. The helicopter seats up to three people, however there is no separate baggage compartment, so bag space is limited with all three seats filled (essentially whatever fits in each passenger’s lap, weight permitting). As of right now, flights will be flown as requests come in. We will do our best to line up multiple flights in order to amortize the ferry costs across all parties, which will in turn lower the total cost for each customer. Please contact Specialized Helicopters at (831) 763-2244 with any additional questions or to book a flight.
Also, we will be utilizing the facebook page, Big Sur Information to disseminate information on flights, open seats, price updates, landing locations, etc.
—
Martha Karstens
Chief

Update from Specialized Helicopters:

Specialized Helicopters will be providing flights in and out of Big Sur tomorrow, (Wednesday) from 8am to about noon or as needed. The only 2 authorized locations at this point are Monterey airport and Post Ranch Inn. So please plan your route from one of this locations to the other for now. The more seats we fill each way with persons or supplies the lower the per seat cost. Currently it is about $780 for us to fly round trip from Watsonville to Post Ranch Inn and back to Monterey. We are trying to keep the costs down for all involved and that takes coordination. So please be flexible if you can so we can accommodate as many as possible at the best possible price. Please call our office starting at 9am to coordinate a flight. We have several morning flights booked and have 1 or 2 seats to fill. (831) 763-2244

AMR is flying in two people and supplies on one flight and a second flight is flying in a water tech so there are two seats available to fly in on that flight. If the helicopter is full the price can be around $130/leg. I know there are homeowners trying to get back to their homes and there may be other unique needs and we are trying to accommodate these needs. We are still working on getting a landing zone closer to the north side of the bridge to bring the shuttle flight cost down to move people north over the bridge but at this point Highway 1 is closed at Granite Creek Bridge (PM 65) which puts it at Garrapata State Park.

You cannot leave your vehicle at Post Ranch Inn so if you are flying out you’ll need to make plans to be dropped off.

Animation of expected wind from 4 PM to 8 AM. Images provided by www.ventusky.com