1 pm — And from Cal Trans:

Highway 1: Camaldoli Hermitage – Big Creek Bridge: February 2 – Big Creek Bridge  
There will be alternating lane closures on northbound and southbound Highway 1 from the Camaldoli Hermitage to Big Creek Bridge for work along the shoulder of the highway from 8:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (let me be so bold as to suggest that they may be wanting to check and clean the drains)

Highway 1: Camaldoli Hermitage – Big Creek Bridge: February 2 – Big Creek Bridge  
There will be alternating lane closures on northbound and southbound Highway 1 from the Camaldoli Hermitage to Big Creek Bridge for work along the shoulder of the highway from 8:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Nadine and Dan’s grandson, Clark, our local budding engineer, the bridge he submits for Cal Trans consideration:

7 am photo by Heath Johnston. This will be the headliner nationwide, already on Good Morning America in Delaware.

This one reminds me of the Rocky Creek slip out of 2011, but with less road. To revisit that one, go back in time here https://bigsurkate.blog/2011/03/17/highway-one-closure-indefinite/

6:00 am — It has been a wild ride the last few days, and even though it is still raining/drizzling, we have been through the worst of this storm and now have a few days before the next ones, which are predicted to be much milder. I will be adding to this post throughout the day, as I did yesterday. I do not expect to have an official report on the slip out at Rat Creek until afternoon, unless Dave gets out there and reports, unofficially.

First thing I note is the slide at Hurricane Point, about 50 feet long. Looks like it will probably be easy to clean up once Cal Trans is rolling at dawn.

Incident: 00041 Type: Mud/Dirt/Rock Location: SR1 S / HURRICANE POINT Loc Desc: SB 1 AT HURRICANE POINT Lat/Lon: 36.357222 -121.902500

Detail Information
6:08 AM	4	[7] FOOTBALL SIZE ROCKS ABOUT 50 FT LONG SCATTERED DOWN THE ROAD
6:07 AM	3	[6] Incident Re-opened: CT LL INQ ON HOW LARGE THE SLIDE IS AND FOR HOW LONG DOES IT GO? CONFIRM STILL 1125? THIS IS OUT SIDE THE CLOSURE AT MPM 44
6:04 AM	2	[5] NOTED IN BIG SUR CLOSURE LOG
6:03 AM	1	[4] 1039 DIST 5
Unit Information

These graphs were published last night, Note on the first graph, Three Peaks gauge was not working. It sat at the same numbers all day on Weds and Thurs. But note the highest rain received was at Chalk Peak here in the South Coast of Big Sur.

I just confirmed with Heath Johnstong, Cal Trans Supervisor for the Big Sur Station that indeed the Highway at Rat Creek has given way. I posted this photo from Dave Nelson this morning and it was quite concerning to me then. For those who don’t know where Rat Creek is, there is a mileage marker link to the right, under *Big Sur Road Conditions. Please check there before you ask me.

This is the photo Heath just posted to my FB page:

Nacimiento-Fergusson road and Del Venturi on FHL

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Josh Wilson cleaning off Sycamore Canyon, photo by Marcus Foster

Report from the Indians:

We’ve had 17.4” since Tuesday eve

Here is pic of Milpitas Rd at Sycamore Creek just past road 5

Cheers, Jon Libby 

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Just 3 miles north of Rat Creek at MM 33 this is happening. First shot is yesterday before Cal Trans came through. The others are today.

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Rat Creek not looking good. Photos by Dave Nelson. That is Highway One it is flowing over.

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Carmel Lagoon. Photos by Rob B

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This is Cambria, which is a mess. Windsor Rd is flooded, the bridge is flooded, Burton, Ardath, Lodge Hill, many areas flooded or roads flooded. Below is Main St. And that looks like the Main St. Grill across the street. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

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This is the crossing at Sycamore Flats, photos by Peter Garin

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Cal Trans will have lane closures next week on Highway 1. Here is the notice:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HIGHWAY 1 IN CARMEL AND MONTEREY SUBJECT TO LANE CLOSURES TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NEXT WEEK

MONTEREY COUNTY – Highway 1 in Carmel and Monterey will be subject to lane closures Tuesday through Thursday next week as Caltrans crews conduct maintenance work necessary to protect motorists over winter driving months.

Tuesday Feb. 2

Southbound Highway 1 in Carmel, the #2 (right) lane between Carmel Valley Rd. and Third Avenue, will be closed from 8:30 am and 2:30 pm for crews to conduct storm drainage cleaning.

Wednesday Feb. 3

Northbound Highway 1 in Monterey, the #2 (right) lane between Third Ave. and the Holman Hwy. offramp, will be closed from 8:30 am and 2:30 pm for storm drainage cleaning.

Thursday Feb. 4

Highway 1 in the Carmel Highlands at Highland Dr. will be subject to one-way traffic control in both directions from 8:30 amand 2:30 pm for crews to remove dead trees.

Motorists can expect delays of up to five minutes. CHP will be on hand to assist with traffic control. Message and directional signs will be in place to assist motorists traveling in the area.

*********************************************************************

6 am — I breathed a deep sign of relief when the wind stopped suddenly at 9:30 pm last night. Allowed a solid 7 hours of sleep, thankfully.

Still gathering data, but there is a hard closure on the 101 NB at Camphora Gloria due to flooding. There are houses being flooded at the Carmel River lagoon, Flood Warnings issued until 10 pm tonight for burn areas and other parts of the county,. And Chalk Peak is sitting at 8,23” for this last 24 hours.

Here are some photos of Highway 1 taken by Cal Trans yesterday. What a gooey mess.

More information throughout the day as I get it. Stay safe everyone.

These are videos Jon Knight, Capt. Big Sur Fire took after he and his family evacuated their home and went to higher ground.

Debris Flow Anderson Canyon by Jon Knight pic.twitter.com/eWeCLjYPsz

— bigsurkate (@bigsurkate) January 28, 2021

Anderson Canyon, by Jon Knight, 1/27/21 pic.twitter.com/mCM8v1Wy28

— bigsurkate (@bigsurkate) January 28, 2021

Date:	Wednesday, January 27, 2021 at 5:00 pm
District:	05 – Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz Counties
Contact:	Kevin Drabinski or Jim Shivers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UPDATE #1

HIGHWAY 1 CLOSURE ON THE BIG SUR COAST EXTENDED

PENDING ASSESSMENTS THIS FRIDAY

MONTEREY and SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTIES – A full closure of Highway 1 on the Big Sur Coast will now remain in effect through Friday Jan. 29. The extension of this closure is in support of ongoing evacuations that are expected to continue into Thursday and Friday this week and to assess damage from this week’s rainstorm.

This closure extends from Ragged Point in San Luis Obispo County to just south of Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn in Monterey County (44.6 miles). The closure began on Tuesday Jan. 26, at 5 pm.

Monterey County has issued an Evacuation Order for areas downslope of the Dolan Fire burn scar where this storm brings an increased likelihood of debris flows. 

Caltrans is working with local agencies to minimize travel into Big Sur to allow residents and businesses to evacuate in the safest conditions possible.

There are several areas of moderate damage, rockfall, and mudflows on Highway 1 inside the closure. Significant rain is expected this evening and the overnight hours.

Assessments are expected to take place Friday morning, Jan. 29, prior to any decision about a possible reopening of the highway or modifications to the highway closure.

More information will be known following these assessments and an update will be provided Friday afternoon.

NOTE: I am still updating and adding information to the general storm report today, the post after this one.

More photos of Mill Creek sent to me by Ge but unknown who took them

All these photos were take by Adalaine Long and Susan Cappell Gutberlet of Plaskett Creek Campgrounds.

Per Susan on above photos: “Up creek I can see Mill Creek Ranch Road. Cleared the creek all the way up to Gi’s place.

The one with the mysterious ladder is facing Southbound HWY 1.

One photo shows the stairways from the parking lot to the lower level picnic area now stairs to nowhere. Tables and BBQ grills are gone…washed into the sea.

All that is left is literally the parking area.”

Ge sent me this one, it was taken by Wade of Cal Trans. He contacted me this morning saying he and his family left yesterday afternoon and asked to me to let people know they were okay.

Dolan Fire Burn Scar is now in the high risk category. From NWS:

⚠️Portions of coastal-central California have been upgraded to a HIGH risk of excessive rainfall through early tomorrow morning. Continued heavy rainfall over burn scar areas is producing life-threatening flooding and debris flows. #CAwx

More info here: wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/discussions/hp…

Mud flow at MM 27. Photo by Mark Readdie of Big Creek

9:15 am— I am a little late with this one. MM 35 is Anderson Canyon

Incident: 00137 Type: Road/Weather Conditions Location: 3500 Mm1 N Mon 35.00 Loc Desc:   Lat/Lon: 36.149374 -121.661950 

Detail Information
8:27 AM	12	[20] AND CLOSURE STILL IN EFFECT FROM LAST NIGHT MM 42 TO JSO THE COUNTY LINE PER 12
8:27 AM	11	[19] 1039 STATE PARKS
8:25 AM	10	[18] CALTRANS HAS EQUIP IN AREA / WILL ATTEMPT TO CLEAR AT LEAST ONE LANE / ADV STATE PARKS -THEY HAVE RANGER ON SOUTH SIDE OF SLIDE
8:00 AM	9	[16] HAS LOADER AND TK ENRT TO CLR RDWY / UNK ETA
7:59 AM	8	[15] [Notification] [CHP]-DOT LL / SUPERVISOR ETA 0900
7:57 AM	7	[13] 1039 DOT , DOT ADVISED SPVSR SHOULD BE 97 AT CALTRANS BIG SUR STN
7:55 AM	6	[9] THIS IS WITHIN CLOSURE ESTABLISHED YESTERDAY
7:53 AM	5	[8] 1039 SLO COMM TO ALSO ADV IF THEY HAVE ANY AREAS CLOSED
7:53 AM	4	[7] PER 27-S1 NTFY SLO CHP, 1039
7:51 AM	3	[5] 1039 27-S1 VIA LLINE
7:50 AM	2	[4] 1039 MTRY COM
7:50 AM	1	[1] COMPLETE 1125 /MUD SLIDE / NO PASSABLE BY EMERG VEHS /
Unit Information
7:50 AM	3	Unit At Scene
7:50 AM	2	Unit Enroute
7:50 AM	1	Unit Assigned

7:15 am — for any of you asking on FB, twitter, or here about slides, debris flows, etc. The highway is closed and most of my friends are smart enough not to get out there to look, so I have no information. IF I do get a report from a friend, Cal Trans or MoCo, I will post it here first.

10-15” expected in my neck of the woods in the next 48 hours:

6:30 am — Chalk Peak got .67” of rain in the last hour:

6:30 — rain continues, heavy at times, but no more lightning, thankfully. John Lindsey reported about 4:30 this am: “The area of white over the Central Coast represents 6+ inches of rainfall in the next 24-hours. The #ECMWF has increased the size of the 6+ area, while the #GFS has kept it the same since the last model runs. These numbers are literally off the scale.”

5:15 am — At approximately 4:30 am the frontal band (I am assuming that’s what it was) came through here with a vengeance, The thunder & lightning were simultaneous and the doggos, particularly my BC were out of their skins and shaking so bad, trying to find a place to hide, preferably inside me. There was no going back to sleep after that performance. So it was up, get the generator started, coffee made, and fire stoked from last night. I suspect it will be a long day. Also, my satellite internet seems to be in and out, but mostly in at the moment. We are in a bit of calm at the moment. I’ll keep this post open and running all day and add to it as indicated,

Detail Information
4:25 AM	3	[3] DUE TO FLOODING and MUD DEBRIS
4:24 AM	2	[2] NB RIVER RD CLOSED AT CHUALAR RIVER RD
4:24 AM	1	[1] SB RIVER RD CLOSED AT PARKER RD

This is the reason, this is from the NWS, Monterey this morning:

HIGHWAY 1 ON THE BIG SUR COAST TO CLOSE TUESDAY IN SUPPORT OF MONTEREY COUNTY EVACUATION EFFORTS

MONTEREY and SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTIES – Highway 1 on the Big Sur Coast will be closed between Ragged Point in San Luis Obispo County and Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn in Monterey County (44.6 miles) beginning Tuesday Jan. 26 at 5 pm.

This closure on Highway 1 is expected to remain in effect until Thursday, Jan. 28. Assessments will take place, during daylight hours and when safe to do so, prior to reopening of the highway.

A major rainstorm is expected to advance on the Monterey Bay area late Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning. High winds also pose the potential for downed trees and power lines.

Monterey County has issued an Evacuation Warning for areas downslope of the Dolan Fire burn scar where this storm brings an increased likelihood of debris flows. 

Caltrans is working with local agencies to minimize travel into Big Sur to allow residents and businesses to evacuate in the safest conditions possible.

This evacuation closure of Highway 1 comes at the request of the California Highway Patrol and in support of Monterey County’s Evacuation Warning.

Ragged Point is located 1.45 miles south of the SLO/Monterey County line:

https://goo.gl/maps/3TwYXL6sS1dRbPZi8

Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn is located in Monterey County at Post Mile 42.1:

https://goo.gl/maps/bup3meiu6iKeNqkJ8

Barricades, cones, as well as message and directional signs will be in place at both ends of the closure to alert motorists traveling in the area.

First off, I haven’t heard from Cal Trans on where they are closing highway 1, yet, but will add it right up at top of this post when I do. Secondly, this bull’s-eye on Big Sur is eye-popping, mouth-opening crazy. Some reports are that it will be sticking around for 20 hours or so, which is why rain amounts are so astronomical. Another report I read this am is that it is expected to arrive tonight, around midnight.

From Daniel Swain: “Then, on Wednesday, the #AtmosphericRiver/associated cold frontal rainband will likely stall along Central Coast (near border of Monterey/SLO counties). High-res models are suggesting potential for extreme 48hr rainfall accums, & very high flood/mudslide risk there.”

“The Hwy corridor and Big Sur, as well as the Dolan/River Fire footprints, appear to be at very high risk in this scenario. Other models aren’t quite as aggressive with rainfall totals here, but still suggest a high likelihood of 10-15 inches.”

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE MAXIMUM LISTED AT THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER IS 23.3 INCH.

Due to the upcoming atmospheric river and high likelihood for debris flows, parts of State Route 1 in Big Sur will be closed with barricades and signs beginning at 5:00PM on Tues, January 26 and is expected to remain closed until Thur, January 28. More info tomorrow.@CaltransD5