Tag archives: Debris flow
It is more than obvious that 2018 was a pivotal year for Montecito and its residents. The first week of the year, we were recovering from the Thomas Fire, which weeks earlier had suffocated Montecito and Santa Barbara in smoke and ash while scorching nearly 282,000 acres from Ventura to Santa Barbara, including ten structures […]
Longtime Montecito resident Jeremy Harper has painted a work of our rarefied enclave’s historic fire station to mark the first anniversary of the fire and mudslide disasters, which has also been turned into a time-lapse video work commissioned by The Cheese and Wine Store’s Patrick Braid. Jeremy, who attended Montecito Union School – where he […]
Santa Barbara County Flood Control reps report that Montecito debris basins performed nicely during the most recent winter storms in late November. Flood Control cleaned approximately 3,100 cubic yards of material from the Cold Springs debris basin, and about the same amount from the San Ysidro Creek debris basin, resulting from the late November rainfall […]
One year ago, pretty much right now, I was looking up from Montecito Street in Santa Barbara at Montecito Peak on fire. I thought for sure all of Montecito would burn. But it didn’t, thanks to 8,000 firefighters. Dan SeibertMontecito (Editor’s note: Well, yes, while we can’t say Montecito was “lucky,” as we lost nearly […]
This Sunday, December 15, volunteers will be going door-to-door in Montecito to talk to residents living in the debris flow risk zone. Last week, the Office of Emergency Management announced that the interactive map designating areas at risk from a debris flow below the Thomas, Whittier, and Sherpa burn areas in Santa Barbara County has […]
A few months before the fires and the terrible mud slides in Montecito, I wrote to Santa Barbara County South Coast Maintenance Superintendent Randy Carnahan and attached a picture of the cracked asphalts on the surface of Channel Drive and asked that it be repaired. He responded that he would place it on the repair […]
Earlier this week, Caltrans released updates on the major construction projects currently underway in Montecito, all related to repairs following the 1/9 debris flow. According to project manager Jason Kline, the project to replace the bridge rails on the Highway 101 overcrossing at Olive Mill Road is nearing completion; the installation of bridge rails on […]
Last week we reported on the impending release of a revised Debris Flow Risk Map, which includes revisions to evacuation zones. The release of the map precedes three scheduled community meetings in Montecito and Carpinteria this week and next; the map went live on Monday, December 3, and all residents are strongly encouraged to check […]
While keeping a wary eye on the weather this winter, residents of Montecito are watching their rainfall charts, fearful of a repeat of heavy storms and mandatory evacuation notices. Seared in our minds are personal memories of the 1/9 disaster when a massive debris flow destroyed or damaged 470 homes in Montecito, and brutally took […]
On Monday, December 3, the County Office of Emergency Management is set to release a revised Debris Flow Risk Map, which includes revisions to current evacuation zones. The release of the map will be followed by three community meetings in Montecito and Carpinteria in the coming weeks. The County released the current Debris Flow […]
During closed session at the SB Board of Supervisors hearing last week, the BOS voted unanimously to begin negotiations with homeowners on Randall Road in hopes of buying seven properties (plus one on East Valley Road) to build a new debris basin where the multimillion dollar homes were once located. The short road, which ends […]
This week, Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Services will release a new evacuation and debris flow map to help get Montecito residents prepared for the rainy season. “Our team has been very reflective over the spring and summer, and we’ve arrived at this place to be able to give the public ample time before […]
Montecito’s vaunted “semi-rural” ambiance was shattered along with residents’ confidence after the Thomas Fire and the ensuing mud and debris flow that took the lives of 23 of our friends and neighbors and destroyed or seriously damaged nearly 10% of our housing stock. It is going to take a little time before the idea of […]
Thirty-six-year-old Shawn Whilt is the second of Montecito’s heroes that I am fortunate enough to interview. Shawn, a younger, handsome Tom Hanks-ish kind of guy with blue, blue eyes is a Santa Barbara Native. He was born here, went to Santa Barbara High, Santa Barbara City College, and then UCSB. He was active in sports […]
At a meeting earlier this week, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors heard from Katie Freeman, a consultant with Hagerty Consulting, who presented an After-Action Report on the Thomas Fire and January 9 debris flow. The purpose of the report was to highlight the strengths of the County during the emergencies, while taking a […]
Last week, Caltrans announced that three of the seven local bridges damaged in the January 9 debris flow will be opened later this fall, with one other expected to be completed by the end of the year. The $55-million project includes the Montecito Creek Bridge at Parra Grande Lane; Southern California Edison crews are expected […]
At last week’s Montecito Association Board meeting, the board heard from Rob Lewin, director of the County’s Office of Emergency Management, who gave a preview of a presentation that he will be giving to the larger community at a special meeting on Thursday, October 25. “As we approach the rainy season, it’s vital that we […]
As those of you who have read my column know, I have written about people who are still thriving and doing what they love in the third and fourth chapters of their lives. For the next few weeks, however, I am going to write about five of Montecito’s firefighters who literally saved our lives in […]
The Santa Barbara Yacht Club (SBYC) got underway with their 14th Annual Charity Regatta benefiting Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care (VNHC) and celebrating our dedicated teachers. They were recognized for going 110 percent above and beyond the call of duty during the Thomas Fire and mudslides to continue their student’s education. They arranged alternate classroom […]
At a special ceremony at Fire Station 1 last week, the United States Postal Service unveiled a commemorative Forever Stamp that honors first responders. USPS district manager Alfred Santos told the large crowd that he was moved to host the unveiling in Montecito, following the Thomas Fire and January mudslides, and the exceptional work of […]
