2 pm – from Caltrans: “.Due to slide activity just north of Salmon Creek at Post Mile 2.8, Highway 1 on the Big Sur coast is closed from 2.6miles north of the San Luis Obispo/Monterey County line to Radio Point at PM 4.6. There is no estimate for opening. Hwy. 1 also remains closed from Dolan Point at PM 29.7 to just south of Limekiln State Park at PM 20.”
Highway One closed. From chp:
Detail Information
7:59 AM
1
[1] CLOSURE DUE TO ACTIVE ROCK SLIDES MOVED TO MPM 2.6 AT SALMON CREEK AND MPM 29.01 AT DOLAN POINT
Here is a photo of the rock slide:
I got my back up ViaSat up and running this am, as Starlink was down again! But so easy, AND it takes a lot less power than Starlink, for those of you off grid types with their own solar systems.
Monterey County Sheriff’s Office has issued an evacuation warning for areas downslope of the River Fire Burn Scar on River Rd effective immediately until further notice. These streets include, Berry Drive, Pine Canyon Rd, 800 Block of River Rd, Limekiln Rd, and Parker Rd. The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch for the River Fire Burn Scar area in effect February 18, 2024 beginning 4PM through Wednesday Morning.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office has issued an Evacuation Warning for low lying areas of the Carmel River Community to go into effect immediately until further notice due to the incoming storm. If you are in an Evacuation Warning Zone prepare to leave. Be ready to leave if an Evacuation Order is issued. Gather essential items now to be ready to go. If you feel unsafe, do not wait for an evacuation order, leave immediately. Check with your neighbors to ensure they have been made aware of this alert. Those with large animals should leave now; For animal sheltering call the SPCA 831-373-2631. SPCA After Hours Line 831-646-5534. Monitor local media, social media, and Nixle alerts for updates. Call 9-1-1 only if you have a life-threatening emergency. To view an Evacuation Map: https://bit.ly/3Za0Xc0
The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch for the River Fire Burn Scar area in effect February 18th beginning 4PM through Wednesday Morning. Monitor forecasts and be prepared to take action should Flash Flood Warnings be issued. Do not wait for alerts or warnings if you feel that your life is in danger. Heavy rainfall could trigger flash flooding of low-lying areas, urbanized street flooding, and debris flows in and near recent wildfire burn scars. Flash Flood Watch: Be Prepared: A Flash Flood Watch is issued when conditions are favorable for a specific hazardous weather event to occur. A Flash Flood Watch is issued when conditions are favorable for flash flooding. It does not mean flash flooding will occur, but it is possible. National Weather Service: https://bit.ly/3OP9WvD”
I drove up from the south Saturday before noon and all was well with the road at that point. By the time I pulled into Plaskett, it was raining. It persisted all the way up the mountain for the next hour with fog/low clouds also hindering visibility. Definitely a challenge, but we got home safely.
That was as of 1 pm Saturday afternoon, shortly after I got home. This next is what we received in the 24 hours ending at 6 am Sunday morning.
We had sunshine for a bit this am, although it has been quite chilly. Clouds are moving in for round two. I’ll add to this post later as the storm moves in if needed.
“Last Sunday night we were out looking at the stars when we noticed a fireball in the south. I immediately knew that this was a SpaceX launch as I had seen one a couple of years ago at 4AM. I checked the SpaceX launch schedule and for sure, it was this one, https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=sl-7-12. Quite spectacular, with binoculars we could even see the huge plume from the second stage in the upper atmosphere.
Thought you might be interested in a couple of pictures I took of the rocket launch.”
By the way, Chris informed me that these photos were taken with a handheld iPhone. Pretty amazing.
Caltrans and contracted crews have continued this week to make onsite assessments at two recent slides on Highway 1 in Monterey County on the Big Sur coast.
The first recent slide occurred Thursday Feb. 8 at Post Mile 29.5 and is known as the Dolan Point Slide. The second and larger slide took place on the evening of Friday Feb. 9 at Post Mile 27.8. and is referred to as the Regent Slide. These two slides are north of an existing closure due to repairs being made at Paul’s Slide at Post Mile 22.
Highway 1 remains open for travel from the Monterey/Carmel area to Post Mile 29.7, some 2.7 miles south of the Esalen Institute. Highway 1 is also open from the Cambria/San Simeon area to just south of Limekiln State Park at PM 20.
Repairs
Both the Dolan Point and Regent Slide occurred at locations where the roadway is adjacent to steep slopes on the inland side with a severe drop off on the ocean side. The Dolan Point Slide is still active. At the Regent Slide, water is running down the face of the slope. Repair designs are being formulated for both slides.
At each of these locations, undermined material that is perched on the slope above the roadway could release at any time, making for unsafe working conditions at the toe of the slide. Material will have to be removed from the top down. If rain brings down perched material, it may expedite this process. Additionally, site conditions may evolve during forecasted rain events over the next seven to ten days which may impact the date when crews can begin full-fledged repairs.
Once dry conditions return, it is estimated that it will take one month to stabilize the slope, clear debris, and reopen Highway 1 at the Dolan Point Slide. In the weeks following the reopening, crews will return to install protective drapery system on the slope above the roadway, under one-way traffic control.
There is no estimated date for a reopening of Highway 1 at the Regent Slide. Once assessments are complete and a repair design is formulated, an update will be provided regarding an estimated reopening date.
Convoys
Since Sunday Feb. 11, Caltrans has conducted twice a day convoys for residents living south of the Dolan Point and Regent Slides and north of Paul’s Slide. Convoys have traveled through Paul’s Slide in the north and southbound direction at 8 amand 3 pm each day. These convoys have been arranged so that local residents can travel south through Paul’s Slide to secure supplies now that travel to the north is blocked by the Dolan Point and Regent Slides. Because passage through Paul’s Slide is by way of a dirt roadbed, convoys can only be permitted when site conditions are in good order and safe for travel.
Due to rain which is forecasted in the area over the next several days, daily convoys will be cancelled from Saturday Feb. 17 through Thursday Feb. 22. After Thursday Feb. 22, the determination about whether convoy passage is possible will be made on a day-to-day basis based on weather and site conditions.
05 – Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties
Contact:
Kevin Drabinski or Jim Shivers
Phone:
(805) 549-3138 or (805) 549-3237
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ADDITIONAL ROCKSLIDE ON HIGHWAY 1 WITHIN PERIMETER OF EXISTING CLOSURE/HIGHWAY 1 REMAINS CLOSED FROM NORTH OF KIRK CREEK CAMPGROUND TO NORTH OF THE BIG CREEK BRIDGE/CONVOYS FOR LOCALS BEGIN TOMORROW MORNING
MONTEREY COUNTY– Caltrans is responding to another landslide which occurred late yesterday on Highway 1 just south of the Big Creek Bridge at PM 27.8.
This latest slide is larger than the slide which occurred earlier this week with both slides located within the perimeter of the existing closure. This newest slide has covered Highway 1 and has spilled onto the slope below the highway. It is not known if there is any damage to the highway.
As a result of these two new slides that have occurred in the past three days, the closure of Highway 1, previously located on each side of Paul’s Slide at Post Mile 22.0, is now located 1.7 miles north of the Big Creek Bridge at Post Mile 29.7 on the north end and one mile north of Kirk Creek Campground at Post Mile 19.9 on the south end. There is no estimated time for re-opening this section of the highway.
Highway 1 remains open for travel from the Monterey/Carmel area to six miles south of Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and from the Cambria/San Simeon area north, to just north of Kirk Creek Campground. No vehicle, bicycle, or pedestrian traffic is permitted through the closure due to construction activities and the potential for slides and rockfall.
Caltrans and contracted crews are on site to assess conditions and will begin work at the new slide locations when it is safe to do so. Work at Paul’s Slide continues seven days a week.
Road information and updates can also be found on Caltrans District 5 Social Media platforms: Twitter at: @CaltransD5, Facebook at: Caltrans Central Coast (District 5) and Instagram at: Caltrans_D5.
With another storm possible for next weekend, I am enjoying the clear, calm day. Keep an eye on the weather predictions and use this time to prepare, physically and mentally, for what could be coming our way.
I read on the Hermitage FB page that the slide north of Paul’s at Wing Gulch is predicted to take a month or so to clear, which leaves a number of people on an “island” again — Lucia, Hermitage, Point 16, Lopez Point, Big Creek, to name a few.
In the mean time, here are a few shots of the snow and hail we got earlier this week.
