Storm alert: What SLO County spots are most at risk of flooding and evacuations?
As a powerful rainstorm barrels toward the Central Coast, the San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services is urging residents to prepare for flooding and evacuations.
Areas with a history of flooding — especially if they flooded during the January storm series — could flood again this week, SLO County emergency services coordinator Rachel Monte Dion said.
Oceano, Santa Margarita and Cambria should be on especially high alert, Dion said.
The Arroyo Grande Creek Levee could breach again, and the Office of Emergency Services warned residents in low-lying areas south of Highway 1 along the Arroyo Grande Creek Levee and near the Oceano Lagoon to prepare for evacuation.
Main Street in Morro Bay also saw severe flooding in January.
Rain is predicted to start in SLO County on Thursday evening, with the heaviest rainfall expected Friday and in higher-elevation areas.
SLO County is expected to receive 2 to 4 inches of rainfall from Thursday to Sunday, with up to 8 inches of rain forecast for coastal and foothill areas in the county, according to the National Weather Service.
Cambria is predicted to receive the most rainfall in the county and has a history of flooding, Dion said.
She urged residents to avoid nonessential travel during the storm.
“Do not drive through flood waters or around ‘Road Closed’ signs,” Dion wrote in an email to The Tribune. “A road that has been closed may appear fine on the surface but have washed out beneath the asphalt. We may not yet know a road has been compromised, so stay alert when driving.”
Drivers should exercise special caution on Highway 1, as it is prone to flooding in the South County and mudslides on the North Coast, she said.
In January, 5-year-old Kyle Doan was swept away by floodwaters and hasn’t been found after his mother’s car was caught in a stream crossing in San Miguel.
And 60-year-old Karen Buccat died on Avila Beach Road when her vehicle was overwhelmed by floodwaters.
Cambria warned about flooding
Cambria is forecast to see light rain Thursday morning, followed by heavy rain that evening and through Friday, according to the Cambria Fire Department.
The Rocky Butte area in SLO County is expected to receive 4 to 8 inches of rain from Thursday to Saturday, which could cause flooding in Cambria, according to the fire department.
Cambria is also forecast to experience 10 to 20 mph winds, with gusts between 20 to 40 mph, the fire department said.
“Residents of the Park Hill area of Cambria should be prepared to potentially have to shelter in place, as there is a high degree of probability for the Windsor Bridge to be flooded and closed,” the fire department said in a statement.
According to an announcement from the Cambria Community Services District, the West end of Main Street could also flood.
The pump on the West End of Main Street will “automatically turn on via a float mechanism,” the CSD said. “The pump is capable of moving 3,000 gallons per minute and dumps all the water directly into the Santa Rosa Creek. If the Creek levels rise too high, the effectiveness of the pump will be reduced, resulting in increased flooding along Main Street.”
Folks can call the San Luis Obispo County Public Works Department at 805-781-5252 with questions about the pump, the CSD said.
The fire department will work around the clock to monitor flooding, and will open the emergency access road across Fiscalini Ranch if the roadway is closed.
The fire department recommended Cambria residents avoid driving during the storm.
Paso Robles to close River Road
In Paso Robles, River Road will be closed on Thursday at 7 p.m. from Navajo Avenue to Creston Road and Union Road to River Oaks Drive, according to a news release from Paso Robles. The street will re-open when conditions allow, the news release said.
The city will allow folks to access businesses on North River Road near Union Road if safety conditions permit, the city said.
“Police and fire personnel are allocating significant resources to advise individuals within the Salinas Riverbed to relocate to higher grounds immediately,” the news release said.
Paso Robles residents living in flood-prone areas should make an evacuation plan, including where to stay and how to accommodate pets and medications, the city said.
“It is strongly advised to avoid driving through, entering, or playing in moving water at all times,” the news release said. “During major storm events, public safety resources are in high demand. Avoiding situations that may require an emergency response is a priority.”
How to prepare for flooding and where to get sand and sandbags
To prepare for flooding, folks can purchase sandbags at their local hardware stores, Dion said, and sand is available at a number of locations around the county.
Sand is available on a first-come, first-served basis, and you need to bring your own shovel. For more information on sand and sandbags, visit ReadySLO.org/storms.
Here’s where to find sand around SLO County:
- Arroyo Grande: 1375 Ash St., near the Little League field
- Atascadero: 6005 Lewis Ave. and 8005 Gabarda Road
- Avila Beach: 191 San Miguel St.
- Cambria CSD: Rodeo Grounds Road (The old dog park location)
- Ground Squirrel Hollow: Dirt turnout across the street from 5790 Geneseo Road
- Grover Beach: 1150 Farroll Road
- Heritage Ranch: 4820 Heritage Road (CAL FIRE Station 33)
- Los Osos CSD: 1428 8th St. (corner of 8th and El Moro)
- Morro Bay: City Library parking lot off of Shasta Avenue and Cloisters Park parking lot
- Nipomo: 148 S. Wilson St. (Behind CSD office on West Dana)
- Oceano CSD: 13th and Warner
- Paso Robles: 1220 Paso Robles St. (Outside the gates on 12th Street)
- Pismo Beach: 550 Frady Lane
- San Luis Obispo: City Corportation yard at 25 Prado Road, Laguna Lake Golf Course parking lot at 11175 Los Osos Valley Road, Santa Rosa Park parking lot aat 190 Santa Rosa St., Sinsheimer Park parking lot at 900 Southwood Drive
- San Miguel: 1150 Mission St.
- Santa Margarita: Highway 58 at the well site (next to Margarita Adventures)
- Templeton: Old County Road (Corner of 6th Street and Florence Street)
Dion also recommended that folks clear gutters in their neighborhoods, prepare a flashlight and batteries for each member of the house, and store enough non-perishable food and water for each household member to last three days.
She recommended that people store important documents and valuables in waterproof containers in higher levels of their home.
“If you are in an area prone to flooding, consider finding an alternate place to stay and leave ahead of the storm,” she said.
On Wednesday, a SLO resident named Richard, who only provided his first name, stopped by the Laguna Lake Golf Course to fill some sandbags ahead of the incoming storm.
The stay-at-home dad, who said he came to San Luis Obispo 10 years ago and has lived in nine different countries, pointed to climate change as the cause of the extreme weather California has seen this winter.
“(The storms) are indicative of the situation we got ourselves in,” he said. “It’s the same all over the world, freezing cold in some countries, flooding in others. You know we did it. You know our lifestyles are guilty.”
“I’ve got the time, energy and money to deal with this,” he added. “(Poor) people around the world can’t deal with it. They don’t have the infrastructure.”
This story was originally published March 8, 2023 at 1:51 PM.
