UPDATE (8:35 p.m.) – Highway 101 has reopened on Saturday night, according to Santa Barbara CHP.
The storm produced runoff from Romero and San Ysidro Creek, forcing officials to close Highway 101 and backing up traffic for hours. Caltrans reopened the southbound at 4 p.m.
UPDATE (4:07 p.m.) – Cal Trans says Highway 101 Southbound re-opened at 4 p.m. today. It is an anticipated the Northbound lanes will re-open sometime between 6-8 p.m. Evacuation orders remain in place through Sunday morning.
UPDATE (3:41 p.m.) – County and State officials will hold briefing at 4 p.m. with the latest information.
UPDATE (2:05 p.m.) – Caltrans says southbound Highway 101 is expected to reopen at 5 p.m. Saturday. Northbound is expected to open at midnight.
Crews are still working to clear debris and mud from the highway.
UPDATE (1:44 p.m.) – CHP says mudflows covered several sections of Highway 101 prompting the closure of the roadway early Saturday morning. The highway is closed from SR 150 to Milpas St. Alternate routes including I-5 to SR 166 or SR 41 or SR 58.
UPDATE (1:12 p.m.) – Crews are hard at work using heavy equipment to clear the mud and debris from Highway 101 in Santa Barbara. It remains closed indefinitely at this time.
#CAstorm– Heavy equipment works to clear US 101 in Montecito Saturday following heavy rains which produced runoff from Romero and San Ysidro Creeks. The 101 remains closed. Please check the CHP website for updates. #chp_santabarb #caltransD5 pic.twitter.com/G8i1zkJH78
— SBCFireInfo (@EliasonMike) February 2, 2019
UPDATE (1:06 p.m.) – Santa Barbara Sheriff’s office will hold a news conference at 4 p.m. on the status of Highway 101 and the latest of the evacuations.
UPDATE (11:33 a.m.) – CHP says Highway 101 will remain closed until further notice. There is no timetable at this time for when it will re-open.
UPDATE (10:55 a.m.) – Santa Barbara CHP says the closure of Highway 101 in the Santa Barbara area has caused a lot of traffic on city streets. Officers are asking people to stay away from Santa Barbara, Summerland and Carpinteria to allow residents to leave the area safely.
US 101 is flooded, @CaltransD5 is working hard to clear the roadways. We have an overwhelming amount of traffic in the area. Please stay away from Carpinteria, Summerland, and Santa Barbara to allow local residents to travel to safe locations. Fwy Pics from @EliasonMike @KSBY pic.twitter.com/JetLBfxOvZ
— Santa Barbara CHP (@CHP_SantaBarb) February 2, 2019
UPDATE (9:55 a.m.) – The closure of Highway 101 expanded to Milpas Street to Highway 150.
Here’s why the 101 is closed – the creek overflowed onto the highway dumping mud and debris. A CHP officer tells me the southbound side has since been unclogged and is expected to be open sooner than the northbound side @KSBY pic.twitter.com/nRQZsZL7wy
— Melissa Newman (@melnewmantv) February 2, 2019
ORIGINAL STORY: Highway 101 is closed in the Santa Barbara and Montecito areas because of flooding.
It is closed in both directions between Sheffield and San Ysidro in Montecito.
Another closure includes southbound at Milpas and northbound at Evans.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office has also closed Coast Village Road at Olive Mill, Valley Road at Olive Mill and Hot Springs Road at Olive Mill in Montecito citing large amounts of woody debris in the channels there.
A portion of Highway 192 has also been shut down.
This is a developing story and will be updated with new information as it becomes available.
#CAstorm– A California Highway Patrol Officer walks in the northbound US 101 in Montecito Saturday where the nearby San Ysidro Creek has overflowed and flooded the Highway. The Highway will remain closed until further notice. pic.twitter.com/lemqlQQB6S
— SBCFireInfo (@EliasonMike) February 2, 2019
