Internal Records Reveal Mixed Messages, Missed Opportunities Before 1/9 Debris Flow

County Officials Worked Hard But Struggled to Convey the True Dangers of the Storm

This topography-based map highlights with pinpoint precision the areas along Montecito creek basins that would likely be impacted by flooding and debris flows in a heavy storm. It proved remarkably accurate but was only briefly available to the public until it was replaced with the Highway 192 evacuation map.

Nearly five months have passed since avalanches of rock and mud triggered by a ferocious winter storm ripped through Montecito and killed 23 people. For most, the 1/9 Debris Flow has faded from immediate memory, but for residents of the small seaside community, the tragedy remains etched in sharp relief across devastated neighborhoods and among brokenhearted families.

Since that terrible night, Santa Barbara County’s public-safety officials have stood firmly by the decisions they made to protect residents from disaster, arguing they did the best they could with the information they had as the clock ticked and the storm approached. Among survivors, however, deep concern remains about the adequacy of their public messaging and evacuation strategies. County managers chose to evacuate Montecito residents north of Highway 192 and issue only warnings south of the line. Nineteen victims died along creek channels south of the highway.

In an attempt to better understand the process by which officials made these decisions, the Santa Barbara Independent filed a California Public Records Act request with the County Executive Office. The paper asked for all reports and correspondence related to the creation of Montecito’s voluntary and mandatory evacuation zones ahead of the debris flow.