Tag: flooding

Weather & Road Conditions, 1/22/17

8:30 am – I will post the road conditions from the Cal Trans daily update when received, but it is safe to assume Highway One is still closed in a number of directions.

CHP website indicates mud/rock/slides at River Inn, Lighthouse, and Hurricane Pointing – in addition to the ones we know of at Burns Creek, Paul’s Slide, and Mud Creek. Oh, joy. What fun today.

I just received an emergency flash flood warning for my area – which is probably for my Big Sur Zip Code. If you haven’t signed up, you should. I receive a text as well as a voice mail.

Rain & Road Conditions, 1/11/17

Good morning Again, everyone!
1/11/17
9:00 AM

LOCALS now have access to and from Ragged Pt. to Pitkins (PM 21.3). There is still the residual slide at Mud Creek (PM 8.8) but LOCALS will be allowed around it. Paul’s Slide (PM 21.6) is still active and closed. Slide clearing is still being done at Fernwood (PM 47.03)

The below info. remain the same:

To accommodate LOCALS, this morning, January 11, starting at 8 AM and EVERY TWO HOURS thereafter Caltrans is going to accommodate LOCAL TRAFFIC ONLY through the Fernwood Closure area for up to 15 minutes if conditions allow.

The plan is to have school buses do their usual routes–without having the parents meet the kids on the north side of the closure this afternoon–If anything changes, we’ll let you know.

As for the update TO THE PUBLIC, HWY. 1 STILL REMAINS CLOSED from Ragged Pt. (SLO PM 72.87) to Fernwood (MON PM 47.03). The hotline recording will remain the same. Another update will be provided this afternoon around 4 pm.

Susana Z. Cruz
Caltrans District 5
Public Information Officer/
********************************************

8:00 am from Cal Trans:

Good morning everyone,

Although the slides are still at multiple locations, things are starting to look brighter.

To accommodate LOCALS, this morning, January 11, starting now (at 8 AM) and EVERY TWO HOURS thereafter Caltrans is going to accommodate LOCAL TRAFFIC ONLY through the Fernwood Closure area for up to 15 minutes if conditions allow.

The plan is to have school buses do their usual routes–without having the parents meet the kids on the north side of the closure this afternoon–If anything changes, we’ll let you know.

As for the update TO THE PUBLIC, HWY. 1 STILL REMAINS CLOSED from Ragged Pt. (SLO PM 72.87) to Fernwood (MON PM 47.03). The hotline recording will remain the same. Another update will be provided this afternoon around 4 pm.

Susana Z. Cruz
Caltrans District 5
Public Information Officer

8:00 am – there are 25 incidents reported on CHP website, including a blockage of CVR at Tassajara of the WB lane. Santa Cruz is a mess, and other areas not fairing any better. Be safe out there.

My internet appears to be working today, but just in case it goes on strike again,  please feel free to post your observations, knowledge, and information in the comments section below. Cal Trans said it would TRY to open one lane for locals for 15 minutes every 2 hours starting at 8 am, LOCALS AND EMERGENCY TRAFFIC ONLY! Of course, this would be dependent on weather and slide behavior.

Big Sur River peaked last night higher than Sunday at above 12 feet, I am told.

bigsurkate

Rain and Road Reports, 1/9/17

2:30 pm – From Lucas Cotterman of Partington

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And another, possibly near JPB? Photo by Erin Boubel

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10:30 Photos to the south. It is dangerous, but passable for the moment. Photos by Inga Dorosz of Gorda:

 

10 am – Brian just came back from checking this out and has this to say:

“Just came back from the fernwood slide on from the south. Multiple power lines down and a there was a car pushed off the road when it slid. Everyone is safe. I think this one will take quite awhile to clear.”

South of Fernwood. Photo by Jen Smith:

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8 am – From Todd:

“Had a slip not far in from hoist has left less than six feet of road. Impassable at this time. This is where one of the retaining walls burnt out during the fire. ”

First up from Sander Koning, near Nepenthe:

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Carmel Valley Update

From a reader, Ernie Long last night:

The west end of Paso Hondo Road has been inundated with flood water. Generally, the water has entered houses and the road west of the junction of Paso Mediano and Paso Hondo. The three homes just to the east of the Garland Park ball field entrance have water running under and around them. As a local resident I was unable to walk west on Paso Hondo even to the area of the park entrance because of flowing water that was at least 1 foot deep.
Sheriffs and local fire protection District were present, including two pontoon boats and several gentleman dressed in wet suits. I encountered several residents walking east on Paso Hondo with fire personnel wading through water.
There are probably 40 to 50 homes west of the park entrance, and my guess is many of them are involved with water problems. As of 1230, the water has receded some what. Hopefully with the rain slowing down we will have a chance for the river to back off and leave the homes and people alone.
What has been described as a breach of a Leavy is inaccurate. The Carmel River in the Paso Hondo area has high banks and the volume of water simply became so great that it overran the bank on the north side of the river.

BIG SUR RIVER BLOCKAGE OF CONCERN

I just received this at 3:45 pm from MoCo OES

Lew Bauman ask that I respond back to you. This has been elevated to our OES Emergency Manager who is having discussions with our Resource Management Agency on what we can do or make happen quickly.
What would be helpful is if you can reach back to the resident(s) in that area and ask that they monitor things and call 911 if things start to digress and the situation presents itself as an immediate threat. We are concerned as they are that no one is caught in any kind of flooding or dangerous situation. They should obviously remove themselves from harm’s way if the situation calls for it.
We are working as fast as possible to get some resolution to this before the river gets to a dangerous level, i.e.: flood stage.
I tried to call, but as you stated cell service is spotty at best.
I’ll keep you advised as this moves forward and if you can assist us by acting as the conduit to the residents it would be greatly appreciated.

5 mins later I got an email saying they would not be doing anything during the storm. A few minutes after that, I got an email from Carl Holm saying he had contacted SP. I am also informed that Ken Wright has contacted State Parks to get local equipment out to pull the redwoods to the bank. At present the fallen trees are diverting the river against the west side of the riverbank, undercutting more ground beneath more redwoods likely to fall. He also said there are trees across the river by the PBS state park sewer plant.

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Photos by Andrew Carlson

BigSur Kate, I just got off the phone with some of the residence that live near St. Francis church (by Fernwood) and they asked me to write you. There are 4 big redwoods that have fallen across the river there by the church blocking the river. The banks are eroding and tree size driftwood is building up on top of it. There are 4 more (even larger redwoods )that look like they may fall across that part of the river. These folks are worried that if this dams up even worse and then bursts it will flood everyone below.

Rain Report, 10/28/16

9:30 am – been quiet since 9 am, when I glimpsed a lot of blue sky before the clouds closed in on me. Big Sur Station reports 1.4″ of rain, a report of 1.1″ in Seaside Highlands, and another local reports the highway is clear from River Inn to Lucia. So far, so good, but several more storms to go, yet.

7:00 am – I woke at 12:30 am to the sound I had been waiting all day for – the patter of dogs and cats across my roof – or so my rain gauge told me. The rain rate was 1.23″/hour or well past the 1/2″ rate that triggers debris flow – raining cats and dogs is a favorite saying of my rain gauge. I was still up an hour later and noted that we had had that 1/2″. My worry began for my neighbors to the north and to the east, particularly Palo Colorado Canyon.

Eventually, I did get back to sleep and re-woke at 6:30 am. Now, the rain is soft and gentle, and I note no other periods of heavy rainfall while I slept. It is now 1.1″ since midnight. I check the CHP site and see roadway flooding notes all over Monterey County, particularly along highway 101, but none here? Really? Meredith Gafill commented on my post on FB of a problem by Lucia, but it is gone when I check. I will continue to keep an eye out and hope those of you who can will share reports with the rest of us. We have rain predicted on and off through Tuesday, so this could become a very long weekend, particularly near the burn scar of the Soberanes. Be safe, everyone.

Here are the 24 hour totals. Some automatic gauges did not work, thus an “M” for missing.

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Flash Flood Warning

Following Flash Flood Warning from the National Weather Service.

Bulletin – EAS Activation Requested
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service San Francisco Ca
958 AM PDT Sun Oct 16 2016

The National Weather Service In The San Francisco Bay Area Has Issued A

* Flash Flood Warning For…
Southwestern Monterey County In Central California…

* Until 600 PM PDT Sunday

* At 957 AM PDT…Doppler Radar And Automated Rain Gauges Indicated
Heavy Rain Falling Across The Warned Area. Flash Flooding Is
Expected To Begin Shortly.

* Some Locations That Will Experience Flooding Include…
Sobranes Burn Area…Big Sur Village…Lucia…
Tassajara Hot Springs…Gorda…Jamesburg…
Carmel Valley Village…Pico Blanco Campground…
Cachagua Near The Los Padres Dam…
Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park…Andrew Molera State Park…
San Clemente Dam…Partington Ridge…Esalen Institute…
Big Sur Raws And Arroyo Seco Raws.

Precautionary/Preparedness Actions…

Move Away From Recently Burned Areas. Life-Threatening Flooding Of
Creeks…Roads And Normally Dry Arroyos Is Likely. The Heavy Rains
Will Likely Trigger Rockslides…Mudslides And Debris Flows In Steep
Terrain…Especially In And Around These Areas

Flash Flood Watch now thru Saturday Morning for Big Sur

SANTA LUCIA MOUNTAINS AND LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST- SOUTHERN MONTEREY BAY AND BIG SUR COAST-
139 PM PST FRI FEB 28 2014

..FLASH FLOOD WATCH NOW IN EFFECT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING…

THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR

* A PORTION OF CALIFORNIA…INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS… SANTA LUCIA MOUNTAINS AND LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST AND SOUTHERN MONTEREY BAY AND BIG SUR COAST.

* THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING

* 24 HOUR RAINFALL TOTALS SO FAR AT SITES IN THE SANTA LUCIA MOUNTAINS HAVE REACHED SEVERAL INCHES, WITH MANY LOCATIONS NOW EXCEEDING 3 INCHES. CONTINUED RAINFALL OF SEVERAL ADDITIONAL INCHES IS EXPECTED THROUGH TODAY AND INTO THE FIRST HALF OF SATURDAY. TOTAL RAINFALL AND RAINFALL RATES MAY BE HIGH ENOUGH TO ENGENDER FLASH FLOODING IN SMALL CREEKS AND DEBRIS FLOWS IN SATURATED…STEEPER TERRAIN.

* OF PARTICULAR CONCERN IS THE PFEIFFER FIRE BURN SCAR AND SYCAMORE CANYON AND OTHER LOCAL DRAINAGES WITHIN THE BURN SCAR PERIMETER. EXCESSIVE RAINFALL MAY HAVE A HIGHER LIKELIHOOD OF PRODUCING DEBRIS FLOWS AND SLIDES IN THIS AREA. EXTRA CAUTION AND PREPAREDNESS IS RECOMMENDED.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING AND OR LOCALIZED DEBRIS FLOWS AND SLOPE INSTABILITY. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.

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Here we go again, 11/30/12

1 pm – I contacted MoCo Rd re N-F, given the possible conditions on Highway One, and this is what they said: “Public Works crews are headed to N-F Road, should get there in about an hour. They’ll drive from East to West to check conditions. I won’t hear from them for hours, but I’ll let you know what I hear back.” Also, something is happening on Old Coast Rd, but can’t tell what. MoCo Rd advised, per CHP.

12:10 – 101 at Crazy Horse Canyon closed for an hour to remove debris CHP didn’t say if it was NB or SB.

Noon – Another cell phone alert. NOAA FLASH FLOOD Warning extended to 1:30 pm
NB 101 #2 lane north of Chualar is completely flooded. Water has been rising since 9 am, per CHP.

11:30 am – Rocky Creek is still open at this point, but my sources says there are rocks everywhere there could be rocks. More as things develop.

11 am – CT is calling it the Rocky Creek Closure. Not official, yet. I have sources headed that direction, will post as soon as I hear from them or get official notification.

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This is Juan Higuera Creek, photo by bigsurdeb. Thanks, deb!

10:30 am – per phone alert from NWS, flash flood warning extended until noon. Downloading a photo of Juan Higuera Creek which I will upload if I can! Internet is working, but slow and iffy.

10:00 am – CHP reporting mud/rock slide in Rocky Creek construction area. Spooky! This was removed from the site less than 5 mins after reported.

9:30 am – just got an alert to my cell phone that we have been upgraded from a flash flood watch to a flash flood warning until 10:30 am, which means flooding is imminent! The loud unusual beeping startled me, and it took a minute to figure out it was my phone!

9 am – There is a boulder down at Hurricane Point, some workers from town are reporting the Highway is a lake, but so far, no major slides reported. Probably some smaller ones I haven’t heard about. Flash Flood Watch still in effect here in Big Sur, LPNF, and Santa Lucia Mountains, so be careful out there! One friend in Big Sur Valley reported almost 2″ overnight. NOAA Big Sur RAWS reports just over 3″ in the last 24 hours. I haven’t checked mine, yet. Winds still a factor today, as well. As bigsurdeb says, ” Quack, quack.”

Here is today’s satellite photo from Dave Allan to show what is in store. It is a slow moving storm, so we will likely see heavy rain at times in certain areas.

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And here is the current NEXRAD

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