A flash flood warning has been issued for the Central Coast Thursday morning as rain rates continue to intensify over the Central Coast portion of San Luis Obispo County.
The flash flood warning covers most of the county, but the main area of concern is the Avila burn scar in Shell Beach. The Avila fire burned the hillside in Shell Beach in June 2020. Rain rates across this area could range from 0.75''-1'' per hour as the rain system continues its southerly path. Excessive rainfall could result in debris flow of rock, mud, and vegetation. The advisory is set to expire at 4:45 a.m. but could be extended pending the intensity of the rain.
A flash flood watch is also in place through 10 p.m. for the Central Coast. It's possible that local roadways like Highways 1, 46, and 101 could become flooded as rain rates could exceed 1'' per hour.
The rain system hammered northern San Luis Obispo County Wednesday and it's looking like that will be the trend for the central coast region of the county Thursday. Models are showing the system will continue to take its time moving in a southerly direction towards the south coast region throughout the late afternoon. By about 4 p.m., the system will be over mountains and foothills in Santa Barbara County and will continue moving south through early Friday morning.
