Santa Barbara County has declared a local emergency in response to two holiday storms that caused widespread damage across the region, a move that allows the county to seek state and federal disaster assistance.
County officials estimate the storms caused approximately $7.6 million in damage, including flooding, landslides, coastal erosion, and multiple road and airport closures. Recovery efforts are ongoing for both residents and businesses impacted by the storms.
Several local businesses were forced to close temporarily, including Seven Day Nursery. Manager Billy Dole said customer traffic slowed significantly as the storms moved through the area. Staff took preventative measures to protect the business, such as placing sandbags and relocating vulnerable plants indoors.
“It was very slow with customers. We had to put down sandbags, very slow,” Dole said.
He added that preparation helped minimize damage.
“Typically, we prepare for the storm. We put all the delicate flowers inside, any plants that couldn’t sustain that much precipitation, we moved them inside so they were protected.”
The emergency declaration enables the county to collect damage information needed to request outside aid. Kelly Hubbard, director of the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management, urged businesses and residents to report storm-related losses, including lost revenue due to closures.
“If a business experienced loss of revenue, that counts,” Hubbard said. “So if they had to close, I would love for them to report that through our form.”
