Flash Flood — Santa Barbara, California

2026-01-03 · near La Patera, Santa Barbara, California

Event narrative

Heavy rainfall forced the closure of Santa Barbara International Airport. All flights were cancelled.

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 → (34.4321, -119.8583)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1311188. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.