Flash Flood — Santa Barbara, California

2026-01-03 · near Ellwood, Santa Barbara, California

Event narrative

Heavy rainfall resulted in the closure of all lanes of Highway 101 due to flash flooding and mudflows from the intersection of Highway 101 and the Pacific Coast Highway to Winchester Road in Goleta.

Wider weather episode

A powerful winter storm brought heavy rain to Southwestern California. Widespread rainfall totals between 2 and 5 inches were reported. With the heavy rain, there were numerous reports of flash flooding and mud/debris flows.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (34.4259, -119.8899)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1311185. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.