SLO County under flood watch as another storm rolls in. Here’s what the forecast shows
Quiet weather conditions on Monday were just the calm before the next storm, as San Luis Obispo County braces for another atmospheric river system to hit the region.
Central Coast residents should expect heavy rainfall, gusty winds and possible flooding starting Monday evening and running through Tuesday.
The National Weather Service put SLO County under a flood watch Monday morning through Tuesday evening.
Rainfall totals are expected to reach 2-4 inches, with 6 inches possibles in the foothills and mountains, the Weather Service said.
At the peak of the storm, rainfall could reach a half inch to 1 inch per hour, the flood watch statement said.
The heavy rain and runoff could lead to flooding of rivers, creeks, steams and other flood-prone areas. Possible flood zones include the Salinas River, Arroyo Grande Creek and Santa Rosa Creek in Cambria, the watch said.
The rains last week were heavy enough to fill the Whale Rock Reservoir near Cayucos to 100% capacity with the lake spilling for the first time in 18 years.
SLO closes freeway exit in anticipation of flooding
The city was working with Caltrans on Monday to close the Highway 101 on-ramp and off-ramp at Marsh Street in San Luis Obispo, according to a news release from the city of San Luis Obispo.
The city planned to close the freeway entrance and exit around 3 p.m. Monday, the release said.
The Madonna Road shared use path will also be closed to bike and pedestrian traffic.
The city is closing the freeway entrance and exit ramps and pedestrian pathway in anticipation of San Luis Obispo Creek flooding, the release said.
Weather forecast shows heavy rain, strong winds in SLO County
The forecast predicts rain late Monday as winds pick up to 15-20 miles per hour early Tuesday morning, according to the National Weather Service forecast.
Precipitation could reach a half to three-quarters of an inch on Monday leading into Tuesday, the Weather Service said.
By Tuesday, heavy rain is expected, with southeasterly winds reaching 25-30 miles per hour, at time as high as 40 mph. Rain could reach 3-4 inches.
Conditions are expected to ease up Tuesday night as the chance of precipitation drops to 80%, the forecast said.
Winds could reach to 15-25 mph after midnight Wednesday or gust as high as 35 mph.
SLO County Emergency Services asks residents to report storm damage
The San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services shared information for residents struggling to recover from last week’s storm.
Information about re-entering a home that experienced damage, dealing with water intrusion and how to clean up are available on RecoverSLO.org, according to a news release from the city of San Luis Obispo.
Residents can report household damage on RecoverSLO.org, which will help the county pursue recovery funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency called Individual Assistance.
“It’s unfortunate that we once again find ourselves in the situation where we are asking residents to report their storm damages, reporting your damages on RecoverSLO.org will help us to assess the overall impact this storm had on our community,” SLO County Emergency Services Manager Scott Jalbert said in a news release.
This story was originally published March 13, 2023 at 1:17 PM.
