Live Updates: Flooding, thousands without power as thunderstorm slams SLO County
A powerful winter storm pummeled San Luis Obispo County on Tuesday night, knocking down power lines and toppling trees with torrential rain and wind.
Here’s the latest:
Flooding closes Highway 1 in southern SLO County
Update, 10:30 p.m.:
Highway 1 at Division Street outside of Guadalupe was closed as of Tuesday evening due to flooding.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the road will be re-evaluated in the morning.
A car was reportedly stuck in “waist-deep” water on the road around 8:42 p.m. and emergency personnel were working to extract the vehicle.
Outages cut power to thousands across SLO County
As of 8:25 p.m., more than 3,000 PG&E customers were without power in San Luis Obispo County, in outages spanning from Paso Robles to Nipomo.
The largest outage cut electricity to 1,890 customers in the southern part of San Luis Obispo at 7:18 p.m. PG&E said a team was evaluating the electrical system to identify damaged sections and make necessary repairs.
Power was expected to be back on by 12:15 a.m.
That outage was reported soon after reports of a sheared power pole in the area of South Street at 7:15 p.m., though it was unclear if the two were connected.
Meanwhile, power continued to be out in Paso Robles, with 999 customers without electricity still from an outage that began earlier in the evening, according to PG&E. Power there was expected to be restored by 8:45 p.m., according to PG&E.
Other smaller outages spanned Cambria, Pismo Beach, Arroyo Grande and Nipomo.
Fallen tree snaps power pole in half in SLO during storm
Update, 7:20 p.m.:
Lightning and thunder shook the skies over San Luis Obispo into Tuesday evening, as well as the promised bouts of torrential rain.
Power briefly went out for some customers in the area amid reports around 7:15 p.m. of a tree falling into a powerline and a vehicle, according to emergency scanner traffic. A power pole was “snapped in half,” but no power lines were down, according to scanner traffic.
It was unclear the exact location of the incident, though according to emergency response app Pulsepoint, two electrical emergencies were reported around that time at 448 South St. and 2173 King St. in San Luis Obispo.
No major outage was reported as of 7:20 p.m.
Emergency responders were planning to close South Street at Branch Street as of 7:25 p.m., according to scanner traffic.
70 mph winds could slam SLO County, NWS warns
Update, 7:15 p.m.:
The National Weather Service updated its severe thunderstorm warning Tuesday night to warn of the potential for 70 mph winds in the severe thunderstorm sweeping the Central Coast.
According to the Weather Service, at 6:59 p.m. “severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from 26 miles east of Paso Robles to 45 miles west of Vandenberg Space Force Base, moving east at 30 mph.”
The storm could bring “damaging” 70 mph winds, the agency said, and residents in the impacted area should expect “considerable tree damage.” The storm also continued to have a possibility for a brief tornado.
Damage is also likely to mobile homes, roofs and outbuildings, the warning said.
The warning is expected to last through 7:45 p.m.
Waterspout possible in ocean off Central Coast
Update: 6:35 p.m.
The National Weather Service issued a special marine warning for the waters off the Central Coast, including the possibility of a waterspout.
Winds were expected to exceed 50 knots with pea-sized hail.
The alert area spanned from Point Piedras Blancas to Point Sal.
Thunderstorm warning issued in SLO County
Update, 6:20 p.m.
A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for much of SLO County on Tuesday night, including the possibility of a tornado.
“At 6:12 p.m., severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from near Paso Robles to 64 miles southwest of Morro Bay, moving east at 30 mph,” the National Weather Service said.
The warning at 6:15 p.m. also said winds up to 60 mph were possible, along with pea-sized hail and “a brief weak tornado.”
The advisory area spanned from Cayucos to Nipomo along the coast and as far inland as Shandon.
The warning was in effect until 7:45 p.m.
Original story:
Power lines and trees were blown down and a boulder fell into a roadway on Tuesday evening as a powerful winter storm thrashed San Luis Obispo County with strong winds and heavy rain.
Power lines were reported downed across the road at 203 Main St. in Morro Bay at 4:35 p.m., according to emergency response app PulsePoint.
Other lines were reported downed at 410 Croyden Lane in Cambria at 5:10 p.m., according to the app.
No power outages appear to have been reported in the areas as a result of the downed lines, but 1,200 PG&E customers lost power in Cambria and San Simeon at 5:04 p.m. Power was expected to be restored by 12:45 a.m.
In the North County, a tree fell across Adelaida Road at Vineyard Drive near Paso Robles at 4:50 p.m. blocking the entire roadway, according to the California Highway Patrol Traffic Incident Information Page.
A tree limb also fell into the second lane of southbound Highway 101 at the Main Street off ramp in Templeton, according to the page.
Around 5:30 p.m., another downed tree as well as a large boulder were reported in the roads in Templeton within minutes of each other, according to PulsePoint.
The tree was reported downed at 1612 Templeton Road at 5:34 p.m., and the boulder was in the northbound lane of El Pomar Road just past Moss Lane at 5:40 p.m., according to the app.
Flurry of weather advisories issued for SLO County
A high wind advisory and a flood watch went into effect across the county at 3 p.m., warning of gusts up to 50 mph that could blow around unsecured objects, down trees and potentially cause power outages, according to the National Weather Service. The advisory will last overnight.
Then, at 5:45 p.m., the NWS issued a flood advisory as well.
“At 5:40 p.m., Doppler radar indicated heavy showers and isolated thunderstorms developing across the region,” the Weather Service said. “Activity will continue through the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday. Minor flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly in the advisory area, and continue through the overnight hours. Rock and mud slides possible. Minor debris flows possible.
Meanwhile, at 5:07 p.m., the service issued a special weather advisory as a strong thunderstorm moved through Pismo Beach.
“A strong thunderstorm will impact northwestern Santa Barbara and south central San Luis Obispo counties thorugh 5:45,” the Weather Service warned.
It issued another special weather statement at 5:45 p.m., advising of high winds up to 55 mph in northern San Luis Obispo County, from Harmony to Cholame and San Miguel to Garden Farms. The advisory was set to last until 6:30 p.m.
This story was originally published February 17, 2026 at 5:34 PM.