The stormy weather disrupted travel plans for some airline passengers on Monday.
Hie Loui, who was visiting a friend at the University of California, Santa Barbara, said she changed her return flight to Phoenix after waking up to strong winds and steady rain.
“We woke up this morning and it was super windy and rainy, so I actually took an earlier flight that I wasn’t supposed to, just because I wasn’t sure,” Loui said.
The Santa Barbara Airport also experienced a brief power outage during the storm. Airport staff said a backup generator restored power, allowing operations to continue.
Loui said she was relieved to hear everything was still functional.
“I needed to check in at the kiosk here, so if those were out, I don’t know what I would have done. Same thing with TSA and the planes. I’m really glad there are backup generators,” she said.
In addition to the outage, some flights were delayed as the storm moved through the area.
Noemi Daniels, another traveler, said she noticed delays but felt fortunate her flight was able to take off.
“I definitely see some delays happening with the weather and the storm. I think we were just really lucky to get out,” Daniels said.
While the runway has flooded during past storms, airport staff said they are closely monitoring conditions and rainfall levels as the system continues.
Airport staff advises travelers to arrive early and check directly with their airlines for the latest updates, warning that weather conditions could lead to additional delays or schedule changes as the flood watch remains in effect.
Meanwhile, on the roads, a portion of Highway 101 in Goleta was closed after a large eucalyptus tree fell, blocking multiple lanes of traffic. The southbound lanes were completely blocked for a couple of hours. One northbound lane was also blocked. The highway was fully reopened by 4:30 p.m.
