Tag: debris flow

Sandbag Locations & Links

From MoCo Public Works:

Hi Kate,
In case you do not have this information. PW crews were coming today with second 1,000 sandbags. If you did not already have sandbag info links, they are below. All recently updated.

maia

Public Works crews have delivered 2,000 sandbags for those in the Soberanes fire scar. Sandbags are located on Palo Colorado Road at the fire station, the Hoist and Botchers Gap and on Garrapatos Road at the Glen Deven ranch.
There are sandbag stockpile areas throughout the county for those in need.
Public Works Sand Stockpile locations:
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/home/showdocument?id=13937
Sandbag distribution list:
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/home/showdocument?id=13973

Links & Info, Soberanes Winter, Part II

From Peter Garin, on the Arroyo Seco side of the fire:
“I just got back from talking to a group of BAER’s…

First of all, I have to thank Tim Short, the Chief Ranger for the Los Padres National Forest (Ed note: District Ranger, Monterey District) and Judith Downing, Emergency Management Specialist for inviting me to the presentation on Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 19th. It was chaired by Kevin Cooper, the Los Padres BAER Team Coordinator.

It was one of the most, fast paced, concise, well organized meetings I’ve attended in a while. Although the first part of BAER study was presented on October 5th, in Big Sur which attended, the second part was presented and shared with various agencies that worked together on compiling the information as the fire was still being contained in Carmel Valley and Arroyo Seco. Now that the fire was contained they all rushed to get out the report that at the meeting was being presented and finalized. The report will then be distributed officially to all the various government agencies sometime next week. In short, I got a preview.

I got to see how the report was compiled by the experts who used satellite imagery, heat sensor maps, documentation from previous fires in the area, helicopter flights, and first hand “boots on the ground” staff inspections. The staff was compiled of geologists, hydrologists, erosion specialists, local Rangers, staff experts in roads, trails, archeology as well as cultural sites, botany and wildlife.

Without going into too much detail the following points emerged:

The brunt of fire is in the Carmel Valley and Big Sur Watersheds.

Every possible scenario has been considered concerning health and human safety.

Mapping and documentation was carefully calculated, and projections made on the best data possible.

Maps were created showing probable debris flow, volume of flow and the combined hazard of both.

Debris flow start when rain exceeds .05 inches in one hour even before soils are saturated.

Short, high intensity rains create the worst debris flows.

Constant vigilance over culverts, storm drains, key drainage points in trails and roads help immensely.

Preparation and organization mitigate most disasters.

Early warning systems that were just tested with the recent rain worked very well. (Ed Note: Some question re this, from what I heard, due to landlines down from storm)

Get advice before you try and implement erosion control yourself.

Experts can advise you on “Best practices”, and the NCRS will provide confidential advice for free.

Follow warnings. Pay attention to signage. Be sure you get the best advice possible, confirm the source.

There will be a meeting when the agencies have a chance to confer and will coordinate a date and time with Dee Heckman. The date and time will be announced.”

Storms, debris flow, and rock slides

I want rain, but 9″?

Just received this notice from the National Weather Service. Please pass this along to anyone you know living near a possible debris flow along Sycamore Canyon Road. Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.

Good morning,

This heads-up briefing is targeted at public safety and emergency response personnel in the Big Sur area of Monterey County – to heighten awareness of potential impacts from debris flow/slides in Sycamore Canyon near the Pfeiffer Burn Scar.

Please contact our office at 831-656-1717 any time – a forecaster available 24 hours a day for immediate support issues.

OVERVIEW

Strong Pacific storms will bring periods of rainfall to the area beginning by Saturday noontime and persisting through Tuesday and Wednesday. Rainfall will be moderate to heavy at times and will result in the most significant rainfall of the season to date.

TIMING
Rain begins by noontime Saturday and continues through Tuesday/Wednesday. The time period of greatest concern for heavy rain will be Saturday afternoon-Sunday. A secondary period of heavy rain is possible Tuesday.

Wind will increase overnight Saturday and into Sunday.

Flooding/Slides: Threat will increase as rain accumulations increase with greatest risks during and immediately following the heaviest rainfall.

DETAILS
Rain: Rainfall totals from Saturday through Wednesday will range from 2 to 4 inches with up to 9 inches or more expected in the higher mountains.

Wind: Southwest winds of 25 to 35 MPH with gusts of 45 MPH at the coast and up to 60 MPH in the higher mountains. Potential for trees and downed power lines.

Flooding and Slides: Flooding of small streams as well as low lying, and poorly drained areas is expected. Debris flow potential from Pfeiffer Burn Scar area in Sycamore Canyon during and following periods of most intense rainfall is high.

Rockfalls can be expected in the area and along Highway 1 due to the ground becoming wet and the heavy rain. Thresholds that we will use for debris flow concern:

0.70 inches in 15 minutes
0.90 inches in 1 hour
1.50 inches in 3 hours
2.00 inches in 6 hours

—
Logan Johnson
Warning Coordination Meteorologist
National Weather Service
San Francisco Bay Area/Monterey, CA
http://www.weather.gov/sanfrancisco

Sycamore Canyon closed again

7:00 pm update- earlier from CHP

Detail Information
4:03 PM 7 [13] 1039 MTRY COM W/UPDATES
4:01 PM 6 [12] SOFT CLOSURE IN PLACE , FOREST SVS MADE NOTIFICATIONS, RES ALLOWED THROUGH UNITL A SLIDE OCCURS, AND EMERGENCY VEH ARE ALLOWED
3:59 PM 5 [11] AMR LL INQ IF THIS WILL BE CLOSED FOR EMERG VEHS ALSO
3:42 PM 4 [9] 1039 MTRY COM LINE 8
3:42 PM 3 [8] RFWY IS OPEN NOW, FOREST SVS WILL CLOSE IT AT THE END OF THE NIGHT, 1 AT SYCAMORE AND IT WILL BE CLOSE TO ALL VEHS INCLUDING RESIDENTS , AND RDWY IS CLEAR NOW NO SLIDES
12:36 PM 2 [4] NO VEHS ALLOWED
12:36 PM 1 [1] WILL BE CLOSED UNTIL MON
Unit Information
3:43 PM 3 Unit Assigned
3:43 PM 2 Unit Enroute
3:43 PM 1 Unit At Scene

12:35 pm – See post below re yesterday’s closure and photos. Today, the CHP website is indicating it will be closed until Monday. WildCAD-LPNF is not yet showing anything, and as has been explained, the USFS is responsible for the maintenance of this road. I have no further information at this time, so any calls should probably be directed to the USFS in King City until further notice.

Road Conditions.

11:55 am – CHP reporting flooding at Deetjen’s Bridge and rock slides near Big Creek.

11:45 am – Sycamore Canyon Road is closed due to debris flow. Blaze Engineering is there clearing it as I type.

20140206-132434.jpg
Photo by Butch Kronlund

20140206-154622.jpg
Dave Martin of Blaze Engineering returning after clearing the debris flow. Estimate is 100 yards of debris.

Cloud Seeding Program off Big Sur Coast

XT has posted an article here: Cloud Seeding Article

about a cloud seeding program being proposed by the Monterey County Water Resources Agency. I have confirmed his story independently. The earliest the seeding would begin would be the end of January. Seeding, while controversial, has the potential to increase rainfall by 20%.

These are the concerns I have voiced so far:

Obviously, I have some serious concerns about this as we on the South Coast, seem to be directly in the path. Of course, the road up Chalk Peak has always been fragile, to say the least, and after the Chalk Fire last year, only a lot of faith and hope has held it up. Chalk Peak is the only way in or out for at least 12-15 people. Plaskett Ridge Rd. is in dire need of repair. It hasn’t been graded since 2000, and the storm of October 13th took a horrible road and turned it into a nightmare. The Hermitage is also in jeopardy, although I know they have been working hard to shore things up, so-to-speak. At Limekiln State Park, the damage from the Chalk Fire has not even been repaired, yet. Mud flows and debris flows could permanently close that park with the current fiscal situation in the State.

Additionally, there are at least three Cal-Trans projects down here currently going on that could be significantly impacted, if not stopped altogether by any decision to seed the clouds, and I think the appropriate Cal-Trans staff should be consulted, as well. XT reports that no EIA or EIR is being prepared, simply a negative mitigations report, which should have to take into consideration the horizontal drain project 1 mile north of Ragged Point; the rockshed at Rain Rocks; the bridge at Pitkins Curve; and the Gambo Tieback project just south of Packard Beach, as well as the damaged hillsides from the Chalk and Basin Fires.

The water situation in the Salinas Valley Ag community is reaching critical stages, Lake San Antonio is at 33% capacity. Lake Nacimiento is at 13%. I know their concerns, and why they would want both Lake San Antonio and Nacimiento to be at their fullest levels by the end of the season, but at what costs?

Frankly, this is a frightening possibility for the South Coast, particularly for those in or near the footprint of the 2008 Chalk Fire, and for the entire Big Sur Coast that sits in the footprint of the Basin Complex Fire.

From XT: “A hearing, at which the MCWRA Board will be asked to certify a Mitigated Negative Declaration for the project, rather than a full Environmental Impact Report, will be held on December 21 at 1:00pm at 893 Blanco Circle, in Salinas.”