After the wildfires comes the floods: Santa Barbara issues shelter in place due to flooding in areas ravaged the Alisal Fire

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Residents in Santa Barbara were told to shelter-in-place due to potential 'life-threatening flooding' after heavy rains battered areas already ravaged by wildfires.

Santa Barbara residents were warned to evacuate due to flooding after heavy rains damaged areas already ravaged from wildfires.

Alisal Fire broke out in the California county on October 11 and tore through 17,000 acres of land before it was almost completely extinguished, at 97 per cent contained, on Sunday. The burn scar is more susceptible to flash floods and mudslides after heavy rain and as storms hit the West Coast on the weekend, residents were ordered to evacuate.

On October 11, Alisal Fire broke out across California’s county and ravaged 17,000 acres of land. It was nearly extinguished at 97% on Sunday. The burn scar is more vulnerable to flash floods and slides after heavy rain. Residents were ordered to evacuate West Coast cities as storms struck the weekend. 

By 11:30AM Monday, the evacuation order was changed to a shelter-in-place, warning of 'life-threatening flooding and debris'. Residents were instructed to stay inside and 'go to the innermost room in their home or to higher ground such as a second floor.' The shelter-in-place order has since been dropped.

Monday morning, the evacuation order was changed from an evacuation to a shelter in place, warning of ‘life-threatening flooding, and debris’. Residents were told to stay inside and to ‘go to their innermost room or to higher ground, such as a second story. The shelter-in place order was dropped.

Burn scars block the ground from absorbing water leading to an increased potential for flooding. As the water levels rise, it can create erosion and collect large amounts of ash, sand, silt, rocks, and burned vegetation.

The ground can become more susceptible to flooding if it has burn scars. As water levels rise, erosion can occur and large amounts ash, silt and rocks can be collected. 

The strength of the rushing waters along with the debris that it picks up can cause major destruction to the landscape and the infrastructure.

The landscape and infrastructure can be severely damaged by the force of the rushing waters and the debris it picks up.

Parts of the Alisal Fire burn area were issued to evacuate the area by noon on Sunday. The Santa Barbara County Search & Rescue Team spent Sunday afternoon going door to door personally urging residents to leave.

The area affected by the Alisal Fire was ordered to be evacuated by noon Sunday. The Santa Barbara County Search & Rescue Team spent Sunday afternoon going door to door personally urging residents to leave. 

Nearly 300 residences in Refugio Canyon and other parts of the Gaviota coast impacted by the wildfire were impacted by the evacuation order. Santa Barbara City Fire Department inspected the area on Monday checking for signs of post-fire flooding issues but Battalion Chief Jim McCoy told NoozHawk that no damage was reported. Firefighters did find one man who needed to be rescued from the flood waters in Mission Creek.

The evacuation order affected nearly 300 homes in Refugio Canyon, as well as other areas along the Gaviota Coast that were affected by the wildfire. Santa Barbara City Fire Department checked the area on Monday for signs that there might be flooding issues after the wildfire. Battalion Chief Jim McCoy, however, told NoozHawk no damage had been reported. One man was rescued by firefighters from Mission Creek’s flood waters.

The unidentified man was underneath the roadway when the water rose and trapped him, he told firefighters. He was forced to cling onto vines and roots until he could be saved.

According to firefighters, the unidentified man was trapped underneath the road when the water rose. He was forced by the water to rise on him and trapped him. 

'He was holding onto that vine cluster for an hour is what he said, yelling for help and finally somebody heard him,' McCoy said.

McCoy said that he saw him holding onto the vine cluster for over an hour and yelling for help until someone finally heard him.

The man was rescued when firefighters used a rope system to get him a flotation device. 'He said he wasn’t hurt but he was very cold and very tired,' McCoy explained.

The man was saved by firefighters who used a rope system for him to be transferred to a flotation device. ‘He said he wasn’t hurt but he was very cold and very tired,’ McCoy explained.

The heavy rainfall came as back-to-back bomb cyclones were forecasted to create atmospheric rivers. Atmospheric rivers are long narrow regions of moisture in the atmosphere 'like rivers in the sky' that release rain or snow to the earth, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. A storm is considered a bomb cyclone when its minimum air pressure drops 24 millibars or more within 24 hours; this next storm could decrease by 50 millibars potentially becoming a 'double bomb.'

Heavy rainfall was caused by back-to-back bomb storms that were predicted to create atmospheric rivers. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, atmospheric rivers are long, narrow areas of moisture in the atmosphere that release rain or snow to earth. A storm is a bomb cyclone if its minimum air pressure drops 24milibars or more in 24 hours. The next storm could drop by 50milibars, potentially becoming a double bomb’.

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