Santa Barbara Airport Opens After Flood Related Issues over Christmas Holiday
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) - It was the busiest time and the worst time to have an emergency at the Santa Barbara Airport but heavy rain impacted all flight operations on Christmas and early this morning.
It took hours to resolve the situation.
At 9:20 a.m. the airport reopened after it was shut down off and on since yesterday including all of last night starting at 4 p.m.
Extremely heavy rain cells in the area caused flooding on the runway and issues with a nearby creek.
Emergency crews worked around the clock to control the flooding and clear the runways.
Since last year, the airport has worked on solutions following past rain related closures.
The airport staff says this included: deploying inflatable Tiger Dams, installing k-rails, staging a 16-inch Gator pump, and clearing v-ditches and drainage channels.
Despite these efforts, the volume of rainfall and runoff from the nearby creek proved to be too significant and exceeded capacity.Â
A message released from the airport's staff says, "we appreciate the patience and understanding of our passengers, airline partners, and the community. We expect to be open for normal operations throughout the remainder of the busy holiday travel weekend."
