Storm updates: Evacuation warning issued for Oceano; SLO County flood advisory extended
Update, 4:30 p.m.:
An evacuation warning has been issued for Oceano residents south of the Arroyo Grande Creek Levee as heavy rain falls on the area.
According to the county, an evacuation warning means that residents in this area should prepare for the possibility of flooding and evacuation.
Meanwhile, the National Weather Service has extended its flood advisory for SLO County to 9 p.m.
Update, 2:50 p.m.:
Roads across the county are beginning to flood as rain continues, the San Luis Obispo Department of Public Works said on Twitter.
In Nipomo, Orchard Road is experiencing flooding, the department tweeted Friday afternoon.
“We’re marking floods as we identify them, but you may get there first, so please be extra alert as you travel,” the department said.
Update, 1:50 p.m.:
The National Weather Service has extended a flood advisory for San Luis Obispo County through 4 p.m.
According to the advisory, heavy rain was reported in the area at 1:02 p.m. with minor flooding already occurring.
According to NWS, between 1 inch and 5 inches of rain have already fallen over the area, and an additional 1 inch to 3 inches are expected.
The heavy rainfall could trigger shallow debris flows and flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas, according to the advisory. River and stream flows are expected to be elevated and ponding of water in urban and other areas is occurring or imminent, the NWS said.
Update, 1 p.m.:
Caltrans has closed Highway 166 between Highway 101 in San Luis Obispo County and Highway 33 in Maricopa due to mudslides and flooding, the agency tweeted Friday afternoon.
Meanwhile, the Highway 1 closure is between Oso Flaco Road and Division Road in Guadalupe, according to Caltrans.
Update, 12:10 p.m.:
Flooding and mudslides are making some San Luis Obispo County roads more difficult to navigate.
According to the California Highway Patrol, flooding was reported on Highway 1 and Division Street and at Highway 1 and Thornberry Road.
In response, CHP is closing Highway 1 at Division Street and just north of the Santa Maria River Bridge, according to the agency’s traffic incident report page.
Flooding and roadway flooding was also reported at La Panza Road and Highway 58 in Templeton.
Update, 11:10 a.m.:
PG&E’s efforts to restore power across San Luis Obispo County have cut the number of customers waiting to see power restored to around 1,100.
According to PG&E’s outage map, 436 Nipomo customers and 672 Oceano customers are still without power, though around 160 Oceano customers in the area of Farroll Avenue and South 4th Street could see power restored by 11:23 a.m.
Update, 10:35 a.m.:
San Luis Obispo County residents should be on the lookout for possible tornadoes Friday, the National Weather Service warned.
The intense storm could generate waterspouts off the coast that could move inland throughout the morning, the NWS tweeted. People are advised to stay inside if extreme weather occurs.
Update, 10:30 a.m.:
In Oceano, 4th Street was closed due to a fallen tree, the San Luis Obispo County Public Works Department said on Twitter.
Some flooding has also been reported on Thompson Avenue in Nipomo as of 10:30 a.m., according to CHP’s traffic incident report page.
Original story:
More than 2,000 PG&E customers lost power Friday morning as a late winter storm continued to pummel the region.
The difference Friday: The snow has turned to rain.
As of 9 a.m., meterologist John Lindsey said that 1.25 inches of rain had fallen in San Luis Obispo County, with a high of 3 inches recorded at the Salinas Dam.
He said SLO County can expect to see a total of between 1.5 to 3 inches of rain on Friday and Saturday, as well as more snow at higher elevations, mostly in the Santa Lucia Mountains above Big Sur.
As for the power outages, they were mainly affecting customers in Grover Beach, Pismo Beach and Oceano, according to the PG&E outage map. By 10 a.m., power had been restored to all but 513 customers in that area as PG&E crews worked on the problem.
The Grover Beach Police Department reported via Twitter at 6:05 a.m. that power lines were down on Highland Way at Huston Street.
In San Luis Obispo, a pine tree toppled onto a house on Serrano Circle in the early morning hours.
The National Weather Service warned that Friday could see some of the most significant activity during this latest storm, which already dropped rarely seen snow on the region on Wednesday and Thursday.
On Thursday night, Oceano residents in the area of the Arroyo Grande Creek Levee were told to prepare for possible flooding as the storm is expected to bring several inches of rain through the weekend.
Weather alerts issued for SLO County
As of Friday morning, the NWS had issued four separate weather alerts for San Luis Obispo County.
A winter weather advisory was in place for interior valleys, Santa Ynez Mountains, Carrizo Plain, Creston, Shandon, San Marcos Pass and the Santa Lucia Mountains. The advisory warns of moderate snowfall of up to 3 inches with winds gusting as high as 45 mph.
The Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for the Caliente Range, La Panza Range and Santa Margarita Lake with heavy snow expected. Total snow accumulations could be between 6 inches of snow at about 2,000 feet to 3 feet at elevations above 3,500 feet. Wind gusts as high as 65 mph are expected.
The agency also had a wind advisory in place for the entirety of the county warning of sustained winds between 20 to 35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph, and a high surf advisory for areas along the coast for large breaking waves of 6 to 10 feet, with local sets up to 12 feet.
Minor tidal overflows are also possible, the Weather Service said.
This story was originally published February 24, 2023 at 8:45 AM.
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