SLO County sees power outages, road closures as storm pummels Central Coast
Much of San Luis Obispo County experienced power outages, flooding, road closures and multiple downed trees and power lines as a powerful wind-driven rain storm slammed the Central Coast.
“Rain gauges throughout SLO County reported impressive 24-hour totals, with Rocky Butte recording nearly 8 inches of much-needed precipitation,” meteorologist John Lindsay wrote via Twitter.
Lindsey said the PG&E weather station on the Cuesta Grade reported wind gusts of 80 mph at 9:20 p.m. Saturday.
Strong to gale-force southwesterly winds, rain showers and a chance of thunderstorms were expected Sunday, with brief downpours and hail, Lindsey said.
According to Lindsey, scattered convective rain showers and dropping snow levels were forecast to develop Sunday night and continue through Monday morning.
Highway 1 closes after flash flood warning
Caltrans closed Highway 1 at Ragged Point near Big Sur on Saturday after the National Weather Service escalated a flash flood watch to a warning for the Colorado and Dolan Fire burn scars in Monterey County.
The closure was reduced Sunday morning as crews assessed the highway, the agency said.
The scenic route is expected to reopen Monday morning.
Roads closed due to flooding, downed power lines
Widespread flooding and downed power lines led to road closures across San Luis Obispo County on Saturday.
The Highway 101 on-ramp at South Main Street in Templeton was closed at 8:26 p.m. Saturday due to flooding.
Southbound Highway 101 was also closed at the North Spring Street off-ramp in Paso Robles as the result of flooding on Saturday.
Tank Farm Road and South Higuera Street also flooded in San Luis Obispo.
At the Highway 101 northbound on-ramp at Toro Street in San Luis Obispo, the water in the roadway was 6 inches deep.
On Sunday, Highway 101 was closed from Frady Lane to Cypress Street in Pismo Beach due to a downed power line, according to Caltrans. Motorists were advised to use a different route.
A fallen tree blocked the roadway at Klau Mine Road just south of Adelaida Road in Paso Robles on Sunday morning, according to the California Highway Patrol incident page, while a large tree branch was in the roadway on Second Street in Los Osos.
In addition, a large amount of mud was reported on the roadway on Willow Road in Nipomo, according to the CHP.
Cal Fire responded to 157 calls on Saturday, compared to 55 calls in a 24-hour period, the agency said via Twitter.
Power outages across SLO County
Nearly 8,000 PG&E customers were without power in San Luis Obispo County early Sunday afternoon due to stormy weather.
A total of 7,941 customers did not have electricity as of 12:59 p.m., according to the energy company’s outage center.
The city of San Luis Obispo was hit the hardest by unplanned outages, with 3,314 customers affected, according to PG&E.
Customers in Atascadero, Cambria, Cayucos, Los Osos, Morro Bay, Nipomo, Oceano, Paso Robles, Pismo Beach and Templeton were also affected, according to the outage map.
On Saturday, a total of 29,329 customers were without power as of 11 p.m., including the Grover Beach Police Department.
Man rescued from Salinas River
Emergency workers rescued a man from the Salinas River on Sunday morning following heavy rainfall.
The Paso Robles Police and Fire Dispatch Center received a call around 6 a.m. that a person was stranded on an island amid rising flood waters, according to a news release from the Paso Robles Department of Emergency Services.
“Paso Robles Fire and Emergency Services responded with a full rescue response and utilizing specialized water rescue equipment to assist the person to safety,” the release said.
The man, was uninjured, received warming measures to prevent hypothermia, the release said.
Additional incident support was provided by the Paso Robles Police Department and San Luis Ambulance.
Paso Robles event canceled due to wet weather
On Saturday afternoon, the city of Paso Robles announced that the Vine Street Victorian Showcase, scheduled for Saturday evening, had been canceled due to the wet weather.
“The decision to cancel the event was made due to the conditions of the roadways and potential falling debris,” the city said in a news release. “The safety of our community is our priority.”
Fatal crash on Highway 41
According to the CHP, a 16-year-old Atascadero boy was killed in a drunk driving crash on Highway 41 on Saturday.
The teen passenger, who was not wearing a seatbelt, died from his injuries after being ejected from the vehicle when it hydroplaned on a curve south of Bear Ridge Road.
Orion Messina, 19, of Atascadero told the CHP that he lost control on a righthand curve, sending his 2004 Suzuki Grand Vitara into the hillside.
Messina was arrested following the crash, the CHP said.
According to the CHP, alcohol appears to have been a factor in the fatal crash.
