Flash Flood Warning near Alisal Fire burn scar expires

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - A Flash Flood Warning issued by the National Weather Service for the Alisal Fire burn scar expired late Monday morning.

The Flash Flood Warning went into effect early Monday morning and stayed in place until 11:15 a.m.

A Flash Flood Warning is issued when a flash flood is "imminent or occurring."

Santa Barbara County sent an emergency alert with a Shelter-in-Place Order for those in the burn scar. The alert called for people to "Stay Inside" and "Go to innermost room or higher ground." That alert, as well as evacuation orders issued over the weekend, each expired around 3 p.m. Monday afternoon.

The storm moved quickly across the region, with the storm front perpendicular to the jet stream. Northern areas received rain starting Sunday night, and the front made its way over the South Coast in the morning. Showers were expected to follow the main front before clearing off in the afternoon.

Rainfall totals were expected to reach over an 1 to 3 inches for Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties, up to 4 inches in the Santa Ynez mountains, and up to 7 inches in the northwest corner of San Luis Obispo County. 

Debris flow, roadway flooding, and gusty winds were a concern. Rainfall rates around the Alisal burn scar were expected to reach between .3 to .6 inches an hour, and a chance to reach 1 inch an hour for short periods.

A wind advisory went into effect until noon for all of San Luis Obispo County, and until 2:00 pm for northern and central Santa Barbara County and the Ventura County mountains. Wind speeds will be 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph, and isolated gusts up to 60 mph.

There is a high surf warning until 9:00 pm on the Central Coast with waves up to 20 feet. There is also an advisory on the South Coast and Ventura County coastline expiring at 3:00 am Wednesday. Breaking waves could reach 12 feet.