———Update 11:30 am———
With so much rain and flooding already occurring, and heavier rain on the way today, Flash Flood Warnings have been issued for much of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. AVOID ROADS, CREEKS, and RIVERS.
Here is the live press conference from Santa Barbara County officials.
——— Update 8 am ———
Large portions of the region are flooding thanks to inches of rain that has already fallen this morning. For the most up-to-date information and real-time alerts download the KSBY Microclimate Weather app. More information can be found at this link.
Here are up-to-date rain totals in an interactive map.
Here is a look from the National Weather Service detailing the alerts that they are following.
Here is a look at the alerts that are active in the region.
High Wind Warning in place for the entirety of the Central Coast through 10 PM Monday Night. SSE Winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 60 mph are expected. Winds at these speeds may cause widespread power outages.
Flood Advisory in place for both San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara County through 8PM tonight. Heavy rainfall could trigger shallow debris flows in and near recent wildfire burn scars. Minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas.
——— Original Story———
Good morning Central Coast! If you can avoid driving today, that may be the best course of action. The morning commute on Monday or Tuesday is expected to be very wet and potentially dangerous.
For Monday and Tuesday, many parts of the Central Coast can expect upwards of 2-4" of rain, and 4-6" in the mountains, and Tuesday is expected to be a larger storm.
Throughout much of the Central Coast, we have a Flood Watch until tomorrow morning. Almost across the board - there is either a High Wind Warning or a Wind Advisory so if you are parked under trees or have any plants or pets outside, it might be a good idea to take precautions. The soil is already saturated because of storms last week which makes downed trees, mudslides, flooding, and debris more likely.
Along most of the Coast in SLO County, there is a High Wind Warning slated until 10 pm tonight and in Santa Barbara County, there is a Wind Advisory from this morning until 10 pm.
From Cambria all the way down the coast to Lompoc, there is a High Surf Advisory and in Carpinteria and Santa Barbara, there is a Beach Hazards Statement until 6 pm.
For those told to evacuate - click here to view the Santa Barbara County January winter storm incident map.
Overnight rain continued through Monday morning and is anticipated to persist through the evening. Our models predict a brief pause around 8 pm today, but it will not last. Another, even stronger system is expected throughout most of Tuesday morning and into the early afternoon. After that - we may see a few dry days before a damp weekend.
Throughout the Daybreak newscast, we began hearing reports of flooding, debris, and blockages in the roads as people headed out on their commute. We will continue to report on closures and debris.
We expect a larger trough to come in through Tuesday before some drier days from Wednesday through Friday. However, the weekend is likely to have another storm system roll in as well.
