A powerful Pacific storm has dropped more than 12" of rain in parts of the Tri-Counties, forcing evacuations and shutting down some major highways.
The storm hit Santa Barbara County during the midday and afternoon areas Monday, before shifting its focus to Ventura County. Santa Barbara County officials issued mandatory evacuation orders for Montecito, Sycamore Canyon, and Toro Canyon. People in the Alisal and Cave brush fire burn areas received shelter in place orders, because slides on mountain roads made trying to evacuate unsafe.
The storm comes on the five year anniversary of the Montecito debris flow, which killed 23 people and injured more than 160. The current storm is actually bigger, but the 2018 system came in the wake of the Thomas Fire, which stripped the slopes in the mountains above the community, setting the stage for the disaster. Since the, the vegetation has regrown, and a number of debris and flood control projects have been built.
Highway 101 is closed between Santa Barbara and Ventura, and major problems are also reported on parts of Highways 33, and 150.
