Santa Barbara County’s seen nearly double its normal to-date rainfall, thanks to a big-ass storm that dropped as much as 10.5 inches of rain in some parts of the county over President’s Day Weekend.
According to the Flood Control District, the county has received 182 percent of its average rainfall to date, hiking Cachuma Reservoir from 17.9 percent capacity to 41.2 percent between Feb. 16 and 21. This translates to a 34-foot rise in the reservoir’s water level.
Though the heavy rainfall might have helped relieve Santa Barbara from drought and groundwater depletion, it also wreaked some havoc. On Friday, Feb. 17, the Sheriff’s Office relocated 210 inmates from its medium security facility to its main jail, due to erosion on the hillside around the perimeter fencing, according to a Sheriff’s Office press release.
Kelly Hoover, public information officer for the Sheriff’s Office, told the Sun the relocated inmates were returned to the medium security facility the next afternoon, on Feb. 18. However, the Sheriff’s Office canceled visitations to the jail for that day. Visitations resumed on Feb. 19.
Kenny Klein, public information officer for Santa Maria Joint Union High School District, wrote in an email to the Sun that the district postponed all after-school activities and travel on Feb. 17, as well.
On top of that, the Sheriff’s Department issued an evacuation warning on Feb. 17 for the greater Sherpa Fire burn area, as well as in Solvang and Goleta. The warnings were lifted the next day. Highways 154, 166, northbound 101, and 192 also saw full or partial closures over the weekend, according to tweets from Santa Barbara County.
Power outages also coursed through the county as the storm progressed, mostly thanks to downed trees.
This article appears in Feb 23 – Mar 2, 2017.