More rain headed to SLO County. Here’s the forecast and how to prepare
Recovery efforts from Monday’s storm are still underway, but San Luis Obispo County officials are warning residents to prepare for the next storm that will hit the region this weekend.
It’s expected that about 1 to 2 inches of rain could fall from Friday through Saturday, according to the National Weather Service’s latest forecast.
That’s much less than what fell on Monday and Tuesday — about 2 to 10 inches of rain. But soils left saturated from the earlier storms may not be able to absorb much more rainfall before running off into floodwaters again, county officials warned.
“We need to make sure that all of our citizens are prepared — make sure that you’re prepared for the next storm,” County Emergency Services Manager Scott Jalbert said during a news conference Thursday morning. “If you’re living near waterways, be diligent about knowing what’s going on in the area. Be prepared to leave if necessary.”
Jalbert noted that the county is still dealing with issues that arose from the previous storm, but is expecting the upcoming weekend rains to also impact the region’s infrastructure.
“Start hardening your property now,” Jalbert wrote in a news release Wednesday. “Clear out previous storm damage, ensure you have sandbags if you are prone to flooding and stock your pantry with enough non-perishable food and water for 72 hours.”
For residents who need to fill sandbags, the county has a list of locations offering sand and bags at www.prepareslo.org/en/storms.aspx.
The Weather Service has issued a flood watch for areas north of San Luis Obispo County, including Monterey and San Benito counties all the way to north of San Francisco.
However, the agency has not issued the same watch for San Luis Obispo County. That’s because less rainfall is expected south of Monterey County, so the flood risk is lower, the Weather Service said.
“This will be NOTHING like our previous storm,” the Weather Service’s Los Angeles office, which covers San Luis Obispo County, posted on Twitter on Wednesday. “Hard to tell when the breaks in rain will be. Elevated river and stream flows, but NO flood damage expected. Roads will be hazardous. Outdoor events will be wet.”
The rain is expected to start lightly on Friday morning and become heavier in the early hours Saturday, according to the Weather Service. Heavier rain at rates of 0.25 to 0.5 inches per hour are expected throughout Saturday.
Then, the rain may lighten up again, but continue to fall through Tuesday evening.
The storm will also bring blustery wind conditions. Residents can expect gusts up to 30 to 50 miles per hour throughout the weekend, the Weather Service said.
This story was originally published January 12, 2023 at 12:00 PM.
