Rumors were correct, but I was waiting for the “official” update to post. Now Shale Point hard closure at night only from 5 pm to 8 am until repairs complete. Photos tonight.

Date: Monday, January 25, 2010 @ 9:30 AM
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

HIGHWAY 1 NORTH OF RAGGED POINT OPEN DURING DAYTIME

MONTEREY COUNTY – Overnight closures will resume today Monday Jan. 25 from dusk to dawn (5 pm to 8 am) due to roadway erosion on Hwy. 1, nine miles north of Ragged Point Inn or three miles south of Gorda, which are both about seven miles into the Monterey County Line from San Luis Obispo.

This segment of Hwy. 1 will remain open during daytime hours (8 am to 5 pm) with reverse one-way traffic control with flagging but closed overnight indefinitely until the road is fixed. Caltrans has mobilized construction crews for repair.

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.

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

Businesses remain open and Big Sur will be accessible from the north during overnight hours and from both direction in the daytime.

Took a drive today, and had brunch with some of the Ladies of the Sur. Here are some of the things I found along my way:

Finally made it to near the end of my road — I was calling it the slippery war zone, before this point, but look at that view!

Then there was the “stop here on this line” stoplight at Rain Rocks. Sure, stop right there, and almost get plowed over, literally, by Cal-Trans. It’s okay, I needed a new bumper anyway!

Angels on the ceiling …

… and flowers on the table … must be brunch at Deetjen’s!

A shot of Big Sur River, where it is cutting the bank at a turn, not too far from Highway One. I’m no engineer, but this looks like a great place for some big, BIG, B-I-G rocks.

I’m going back to photograph this in the sunshine.

The Grange behind K-rail, and with CERT training going on!

And finally, Juan Higuera Creek. Isn’t it beautiful??

Can you tell I am feeling better? Thank goodness! Monday night, I will upload the photos of the beginning of the Saga of Shale Point – being repaired.

The ex has been documenting the slip-out at Shale Point, 3 miles south of Gorda, and shared his images with me. I also have a photo essay about the repair which I will post in the next few days, but will begin with the damage. All photographs by Ralph J. Novoa, Cal-Trans Willow Springs, retired. I will be adding photographs throughout the evening.

Here is the existing horizontal drain at Shale Point. You can see the sea wall to the south and to the north, but it is completely gone near the drain on both sides.

This shows some of the damage to the road.

Here is a closer look.

perspective


and that is what did the damage.

Tomorrow, the start of the repairs. It is truly amazing to watch how Cal-Trans and their contractors keep this road that defies gravity betwix the ocean and the mountains. Unbeliveable feats of engineering, guys … and pure guts, Chuckster!

4:00 pm – lots of activity today. Local news reports indicate the missing man is George Carpenter, age 74, suffering from mild dementia has been missing since Dec. 23, 2009 with his black lab, Scooter. Scooter turned up at a local’s residence Wednesday about 7 miles inland from Gorda, up Los Burros and MCSO was seen at a residence up Los Burros Rd. this morning. The vehicle has been found. One SLO newspaper indicates the man’s Jeep was found “near” Ft. Hunter-Leggett property, but one of my sources puts it close to “Lion’s Den” near Los Burros and South Coast Ridge Rd. One local resident reports spotting the “old man” a couple weeks ago up on South Coast Ridge Rd. more on the northern end. I am concerned that the dog left him on Wednesday, and this is Saturday, and we’ve had storms & snow during that time. I hope he is found soon, as, I am sure, does his wife. Let our prayers be heard.

Can not always take a day off. Anyone on the South Coast reading this, the helicopter you may hear is on a search & rescue mission for the SLO man missing since just before Xmas. His dog and Jeep have been located, but they are concerned about the guy and hypothermia, given all the snow. The dog wandered off to someone’s home and his tag lead to the missing man’s family. ATVs will be used in the search only as a last resort. (Information obtained from Sherry Tune, District Ranger, Monterey District LPNF.)

And here is Cone Peak this morning during a quick break in the clouds.

Taking the day off tomorrow, Saturday, getting ready for the next onslaught.

ROAD CLOSURES: I HAVE LOCATED THE SITE FOR THE CLOSURES OF COUNTY ROADS, INCLUDING NACIMIENTO-FERGUSSON AND COAST ROAD, BOTH OF WHICH ARE LISTED AS CLOSED INDEFINITELY DUE TO STORM DAMAGE, EFFECTIVE 1/20/10. SEE THE 2009-2010 EL NINO LINKS TO THE RIGHT. ALSO REMEMBER, EFFECTIVE SUNDAY AT 5 PM, HIGHWAY ONE SHUTS DOWN FOR 2-3 WEEKS, ABOUT 3 MILES SOUTH OF GORDA

2:30 pm – snowing again, or still, depending on one’s point of view. The problem is that when there is snow on the summit, the county road people can’t get their equipment through to work on N-F Rd., which remains closed. 15 mins later, the sun is shining.

12:45 pm – Report from Big Sur Valley: “Big thunder and lightning just now. Big hail.”

RAIN TOTAL UPDATES; 1.5 inches in the last 24-hours; 12.75 for the week; 39.35 for the season, and the snow continues …

Current Nexrad:

10:00 am NASTY-FERGIE RD. UPDATE: Confirmed with a local it is still closed, except to those who live on Alm’s Ridge, and even those people report it is bad and requires 4 x 4 with high clearance.

Somehow, I missed this announcement last night from Cal-Trans, probably because they didn’t send it to me or to the Chamber of Commerce. Also, if I am very lucky, I have some photos coming my way taken yesterday of the slip-out, by a former Cal-Trans worker with 28 years of experience on this road. Ralphie. If he comes up today to check on me, as he promised.

Date: Thursday, January 21, 2010 @ 5pm

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

#UPDATE#

FULL CLOSURE ON HWY. 1 NORTH OF RAGGED POINT BEGINS SUNDAY

MONTEREY COUNTY – Hwy. 1 will be fully closed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week beginning Sunday, Jan, 24 @ 5 pm for 2-3 weeks due to roadway erosion. This closure will be in effect nine miles north of Ragged Point Inn or three miles south of Gorda, which is seven miles north of the San Luis Obispo County line.

This closure is necessary to bring in a large crane after a section of fill was washed out by the surf due to recent heavy rains.

Hwy. 1 will re-open upon completion of this $2 million emergency repair, which will be performed by Windsor/Specialty Contractors.

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

7:30 am – it is snowing. Woohoo!

4:30 am – a flashlight out my window reveals the ground is covered with snow! Not too thick, an inch, I’d say. And last night, for the first time in two days, I was able to concentrate long enough to be able to watch a movie. Must be getting better.

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.

6:00 pm ish – ROAD HAZARDS -CHP reports: Traffic Hazard reported at Palo Colorado Cyn., a large truck and trailer in road around 5 pm with no cones or emergency flashers. At 6:08 pm, a 100 lb limb is reported “hanging” over the road near Soberanes Point. And then there is the one below.

Sycamore Canyon Rd. blocked by tree. Photo by Belinda Shoemaker:

Here are two more “storm photos” — both sent in by Mike Gilson. The first is last night’s sunset:

This Big Sur river shot is from Wednesday (today) at 10:00 a.m. just after the storm cell passed…and the photo is looking upriver from the Hwy 1 bridge at Pfeiffer State Park

Nexrad is showing two more storms to hit our coast this afternoon. Others may be (and probably are) out of range of Nexrad.

Today’s Big Sur River Photos, courtesy of Debbie Reed:

She had this to say: “All well, river wise. Lots of redwood branches down. Good thing my car wasn’t there this a.m. during the gale wind. Would have damage. My power is out with limbs on lines. River doesn’t want to go down yet. Lucky we have theses breaks in the rain.”

11:00 am – it has become very quiet up here. Little wind, no rain … ah peaceful!

9:30 am – THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR…
MONTEREY COUNTY IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA…
THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF BIG SUR VILLAGE…

* UNTIL 1000 AM PST

* AT 924 AM PST…NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. SMALL HAIL AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR BIG SUR VILLAGE…AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.
Here is that cell on Nexrad:

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO ANDREW MOLERA STATE PARK…PICO BLANCO CAMPGROUND AND CACHAGUA NEAR THE LOS PADRES DAM

9:30 am – rain totals: 2 inches overnight and this morning until 9:30 am; 10 inches for the week; and 36.6 inches for the season.

8:30 am – current Rextad – I claim lack of sleep — that’s Nexrad!!

5:30 am – thunder and lightning are WICKED right now! Thunder starts rolling the moment I see the flashes, and cracks a mere second later. If it wasn’t for the panicking dogs, this would be fun! Hmmm…almost.

4:15 am – Ommpf!! My sensitive canine kid jumped into the middle of my belly. No way was she going to go through this AGAIN, with me asleep. As soon as there is a break in the weather, I am getting some of that Rescue Remedy.

So, wind (not too bad), thunder & lightning (also not too bad) and moments of rain at this gawd-awful time of the morning.

Excepts from this morning’s NOAA forecast discussion:

AS OF 2:50 AM PST WEDNESDAY…SHORT TERM ISSUE INVOLVES BRACING FOR THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM DUE TO SLAM ONTO THE COAST BEFORE DAWN. ANOTHER SYSTEM IS SLATED FOR THURSDAY WITH QUIETER WEATHER FOR THE WEEKEND.

… HEAVIER RAINS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FRONTAL BAND WILL LIKELY MOVE THROUGH DURING RUSH HOUR…SIMILAR TO YESTERDAY`S FRONTAL PASSAGE. IN ADDITION TO THE RAINS…STRONG WINDS ARE FORECAST TO ACCOMPANY THIS SYSTEM AND WIND ADVISORIES AND HIGH WIND WARNINGS HAVE BEEN POSTED FOR COASTAL AND MOUNTAIN AREAS AS WELL AS [SOME] INLAND VALLEYS…WIND SPEEDS ARE EXPECTED TO EASE AFTER NOON…AND IMPROVING CONDITIONS IN GENERAL CAN BE ANTICIPATED. HOWEVER…SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE IF NOT LIKELY IN THE UNSTABLE POST-FRONTAL AIRMASS. SOME THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE SMALL HAIL.

… ADDITIONALLY…HEAVY RAIN IS EXPECTED TO ACCOMPANY THIS STORM SYSTEM WITH AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN ANTICIPATED THROUGH THE AFTERNOON WITH THE HIGHER AMOUNTS EXPECTED ACROSS HIGHER TERRAIN.
… ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO IMPACT THE STATE ON THURSDAY AS AN UPPER LEVEL LOW CENTER MOVES ACROSS CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. RIGHT NOW THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO PARTICULARLY IMPACT AREAS FROM ABOUT BIG SUR SOUTHWARD WITH THE HEAVIEST RAINS THERE AND INTO THE LA BASIN BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. QPF ESTIMATES FOR OUR DISTRICT GIVE 1-3 INCHES IN THE SANTA LUCIAS…UP TO AN INCH OR SO IN THE SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS…AND A HALF INCH OR LESS ELSEWHERE THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING.

Report from friend in town at 8:00 pm: “Hey Kate-
We just had the tv interrupted with a weather advisory/warning of severe thunderstorms, 60mph sustained winds and 1 inch diameter hail going thru Gorda and Lucia heading east…people were advised to take cover in a secure building and not near any windows.”

Frankly, I think this is late and exaggerated, and is probably the one posted at 7 pm, which suggested 1/2 inch, and which I got bb sized, which only lasted about 10 minutes. Granted, I have not checked nexrad in the last hour, and will do so, but unless I see another cell coming at us, I won’t be posting for a while

*MAKE SURE AND READ DAVE ALLEN’S REPORT ON CONDITIONS AS HE DROVE FROM CARMEL TO PACIFIC VALLEY SCHOOL AND HOME TODAY IN THE COMMENTS TO THIS POST.*

7:00 pm – Nexrad Radar shot. See that F-2?? That’s us, right here under it!

Here is what that means:

6:45 pm – the beginnings of rain, small hail, and a dog who hates lightning is panting with eyes dialated and wide open. My hearing-aid dog. Even though I can’t hear it. She can. Oh, now I can hear it, too!! Here it comes!

6:30 pm – from Dave Allen: “The alarm just went off on my weather radio. It was a Severe T-storm Warning about that cell I mentioned off the coast. They said that it is presently 5 miles off Cape San Martin, and warned about high winds, lightning, hail and such.”

5:30 pm, let me start rain totals for today over again. Yesterday afternoon’s .75 got counted twice, once in today’s total as well as in yesterday’s total, as it wasn’t dumped. (my bad) but not in the rest of the totals (week or season). In other words, today’s totals were still 2.75, but the two inches were this morning and the .75 came this afternoon, not last night and early morning. That brings this week’s total to an even 8 inches, and the season total to 34.6 inches. Thank goodness I write this stuff down on my calendar, huh?

3:20 pm – major lightning and thunder, just one, so far, but very bright, loud, close. Rain has begun again, and here’s the hail. Quick roll through, and gone in 10 minutes. Boy, our weather people called this one right on the money, didn’t they? There is a very long, detailed NOAA discussion issued at 3 pm today. Every interested party should read it. See links to the right.

3:00 pm – here it comes again. Here is current Nexrad:

2:30 pm – local went up to look at the slide on N-F Rd. and reports Cal-Trans has one piece of equipment there, but did not think it was big enough for the trees. She did not mention County one way or the other. Another local reported she came up the back side of N-F Rd. from 101 and was able to get through the few minor problems with her fully loaded low vehicle. Another local reports a tree down blocking Plaskett near the bottom. I’m guessing, with a relative degree of certainty, that there are a bunch more between it and me.

12:30 pm. I have confirmed with the USFS, PV Station that Nasty-Fergy is closed due to an “erosion problem.” I was informed that the County Road crews would get to it in the next “couple days.” Another Alm’s Ridge local was able to drive up Willow and all the way across the back side last night. Plaskett is probably impassable, but the USFS doesn’t have any information. Oh, and the good news is that at least some, if not all, of Big Sur Valley has power again.

It is dead quiet here, but the wind advisory remains in effect, with a high wind watch starting this evening. More of everything later tonight.

From the Monterey County Office of Emergency Services:

A WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON. A HIGH WIND WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.

* TIMING: STRONG SOUTH TO SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE INTO THE AFTERNOON TODAY. SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL ONCE AGAIN INCREASE EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS EXPECTED IN THE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON.

* WINDS: SOUTHEAST WINDS OF 20 TO 35 MPH WILL CONTINUE TODAY WITH LOCAL GUSTS AS HIGH AS 50 MPH. ON WEDNESDAY SOUTHEAST WINDS OF 25 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 60 MPH ARE POSSIBLE.

* IMPACTS: WINDS THIS STRONG CAN LEAD TO PROPERTY DAMAGE. DOWNED TREES AND POWER LINES MAY RESULT IN POWER OUTAGES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT WINDS OF 35 MPH ARE EXPECTED. WINDS THIS STRONG CAN MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT…ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. USE EXTRA CAUTION.

A HIGH WIND WATCH MEANS THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A HAZARDOUS HIGH WIND EVENT. SUSTAINED WINDS OF AT LEAST 40 MPH…OR GUSTS OF 58 MPH OR STRONGER MAY OCCUR. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

11:00 am – a break in the weather, and nothing shows up on Nexrad for the next several hours. Hopefully, we won’t get any more until tonight.

10:00 am – power out in Big Sur Valley, per BSV source, and residents warned by PG&E that it is likely to be for an extended period of time.

9:30 am – live wires sparking in the middle of the road at Palo Colorado and Garapata Rd.

9:00 am – NOAA is warning of hail and thunderstorms possible today, wind, and the whole ball of wax. Santa Cruz is faring much worse than we are. Most of the roads in the San Lorenzo Valley are closed, including 9 by Ben Lomand.

8:30 am – either I misread it, or between first light and now we got another inch, for 2 inches overnight and this morning, 7.25 inches for the week, and 33.85 inches for the season.

Nexrad this morning. At least Big Sur is not in the red!

8:00 am – 1 inch overnight and this morning; 6.25 inches for the week (starting Sunday); and 32.85 inches for the season. Report from a friend in Pebble Beach at 6 am: “we are getting pounded…..terrific wind, massive thunder and wind like you wouldn’t believe.” And Dave Allen left Carmel for the difficult drive down the coast from Carmel to Pacific Valley School at 6 am and he will report when he arrives.

3:30 am – what am I doing awake? Listening to the rain, the wind, and what may be mixed hail, that’s what. I will get back to sleep, shortly, I hope, if the sounds of the storm allow. Metal roofs, necessary for living among the wildfires, amplifies the sounds of storms. Rain totals when it is light. Continued coverage through out the day. Be safe everyone!

8:00 pm – More heavy rain. The last one was short-lived, as was this one.

6:45 pm – HEAVY rain and hail. It is so loud I cannot hear my movie over it. Hopefully, just a cloud burst.

N-F RD. ROAD CLOSED – I received a report from a local that Nacimiento-Fergusson Rd. is closed on the coast side due to downed trees and mudslides. “There were 4 or 5 big trees laying across the road with about 3′ deep debris.”