Sbunified is no stranger to school closures due to heavy rain. Still, the recent storm this weekend set new records for rainfall, with evacuations ordered throughout Santa Barbara County as it was proclaimed to be in a state of emergency.
On Thursday, February 1st, students at Dos Pueblos were thrilled to hear that school had been closed due to the upcoming storms. “Forecasts show this is forecasted to potentially be the third worst storm in Santa Barbara County history,” the district said in a statement on Friday. “The majority of school districts across the county will be closed Monday as well.”
Evacuation orders for areas of high risk, such as the Thomas, Cave, and Alisal burn areas had already been issued by Friday. Approximately 1,214 residents were given orders to evacuate, which included many DP students. All evacuation orders in Santa Barbara county were cancelled as of 12 PM on Monday.
While the atmospheric river effected nearly all of Southern California, Santa Barbara was one of the areas hit the hardest. Though there was less rainfall than predicted, Santa Barbara got 2.39 inches of rain on Sunday, breaking the record of 0.5 inches set in 1990.
On February 4th, SB county proclaimed a local emergency, defined as “the duly proclaimed existence of conditions of disaster or extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the territorial limits of a county…”
Governor Gavin Newson also proclaimed a state of emergency for the area, which emphasized the severity of the storm and ensured that the needed resources would be provided to support affected areas. As the storm wreaks havoc on infrastructure and roads, the County Public Works Department is assessing damage to keep roadway systems functioning.
Dangerous and life-threatening flash floods and debris flows were among some of the risks that the storms posed, especially in downtown Santa Barbara where residents on De la Vina, Haley, Bath, and Cota streets were all evacuated. High winds also posed as a threat. Trees fell into homes, across roads, and onto power lines, resulting in many power outages in certain areas.
The Santa Barbara Airport was also closed due to flooding, cancelling all commercial flights. Local beaches are also epecting rip currents and large breaking waves, with a high surf advisory in effect on Monday.
The district ensured that students would be back in school by Tuesday.
“After the storm passes on Monday, our Facilities team will be going back to each school to ensure the school is safe and ready for students to return on Tuesday morning.”
