Christmas Eve Storm Passes Santa Barbara Without Major Damage

Steady rains and gusty winds hit Santa Barbara for much of the day on Christmas Eve, but that didn’t stop holiday shoppers from braving the streets to finish some last-minute errands. Despite the closure of a few low-lying surface streets, and a few minor accidents, the storm passed through the Central Coast without causing any major damage.

Creeks and storm drains were flowing with rainwater after a wet morning, with meters registering between three and seven inches of rain across Santa Barbara. A Flash Flood Warning issued for Southern Santa Barbara County during the early morning was lifted at noon.

Flooding near Calle Cesar Chavez and the Santa Barbara waterfront forced a temporary shutdown of the street, and at least one boat washed ashore on East Beach due to windy and choppy conditions.

Palm fronds littered the curbsides in areas of town where winds hit the hardest, though city crews were able to clean up most of the debris before the end of the afternoon. Rains are expected to continue through Christmas, tapering off with intermittent showers though Friday.

Independent photographer Ingrid Bostrom was out capturing moments across town during the wet and windy Christmas Eve. View a gallery of her photos below.