Elderly Man’s Body Found After Being Swept Away by Goleta Creek During Storm

Two people died in Santa Barbara County’s front-country creeks during this weekend’s storms, which delivered 10 inches of rain to the Santa Ynez Range, turning the creeks downslope into rough torrents of fast-moving water. Rain pelted onto ground already sodden from the 15 inches that had fallen all month, causing mudslides, fallen trees, road closures, downed powerlines, and flooding across the county. 

The first death was reported on Monday morning by KEYT’s John Palminteri, who described emergency vehicles on lower De la Vina Street. A woman had been found tangled in trees along the bank of the creek, the Santa Barbara Police confirmed later that afternoon. Police did not release her identity but said “foul play” was not suspected.

The second death came that evening, around 7:40 p.m., in Goleta, when an elderly man reported to be driving across Maria Ygnacio Creek on Via Alba was swept away. Peter Knudsen Miller, age 86, was said to be missing after his family found his truck stuck in the creek crossing, the Sheriff’s Office reported. Sheriff’s deputies, a K-9 unit, County Fire, and Search and Rescue fanned out to search for Miller that night, then returned the next morning, finding his body below Cathedral Oaks Road.

The National Weather Service, which encountered conflicting computer models as it monitored the approaching storms, had issued a flood watch on Thursday. Likewise, a warning that evacuation might be necessary along waterways and below burn scars was made on Saturday; by Tuesday afternoon, the warnings were rescinded with the exception of Sycamore Creek from Stanwood Drive to the Alameda Padre Serra roundabout, and along Mission Creek from Castillo down Cota to Chapala and the 101. (See ReadySBC.org for up-to-date information.)

The Santa Barbara Municipal Airport, which is surrounded by the Goleta Slough and several creeks, flooded during Monday’s downpours and was closed until Tuesday morning, as it was during February 4’s atmospheric-river-driven storms. As the storm on Monday progressed, State Route 192 was closed near Coyote Road for downed powerlines and near Mission Canyon Lane for a fallen tree; Sycamore Canyon Road was blocked by flooding and slides north of Salinas Street. A number of roads along the foothills closed to all but emergency vehicles, including East Mountain Drive, Bella Vista, and Gobernador Canyon. Padaro Lane and Ortega Hill Road were deemed “impassable” by county public works, as of Tuesday morning. On the City of Santa Barbara’s Eastside, a large tree smashed two cars parked and unoccupied on Hutash Street.

Tuesday morning delivered a break from the rain though a high surf advisory continues for the day due to waves building from a 10- to 15-foot-long west swell period. Miramar Beach was closed on Tuesday when a release of about 2,500 gallons of sewage into Oak Creek near Sinaloa Drive was discovered.

The flood watch remains in effect through Wednesday 10 a.m., as thunderstorms, if they develop, would deliver heavy rain, the NWS reported this morning. The outlook for Santa Barbara County, however, seems relatively dry, with a potentially milder storm on tap next weekend.

·      For status of County roadways, click here.

·      For status of Caltrans-maintained highways, click here.

·      Access storm preparedness tips and resources on the ReadySBC.org Storm Readiness Page.

·      Sign up to receive emergency alerts from the County’s ReadySBC Alerts program.