A flood warning has been issued for areas along the Santa Ynez River, including parts of Lompoc, due to recent water releases from Lake Cachuma amid a winter storm that has filled the reservoir past capacity. The National Weather Service’s (NWS) warning remains in effect until 11 p.m. Saturday.
The river was expected to peak at 18.6 feet early this afternoon, according to the NWS, with flooding likely to occur in the Floradale Avenue area near the riverbed in lower Lompoc. Agricultural land and outlying grounds of the federal prison were also expected to be impacted by flooding today. In a tweet this morning sharing the NWS’s flood warning, the county’s Office of Emergency Management advised those near the Santa Ynez River to move to high ground while the flood warning was in effect.
Bradbury Dam at Lake Cachuma was releasing 25,000 cubic feet per second earlier this morning, according to Lael Wageneck, spokesperson for Santa Barbara County Public Works. According to the county’s rainfall report, the dam had received over seven inches of rain as of 8 a.m. this Saturday over the last three days.
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