10:00PM April 7
Today’s rain set off a debris flow in Pfeiffer Creek. The flow may have put some water into the Big Sur Lodge. The highway is completely blocked and is expected to remain closed until sometime tomorrow. The Big Sur CATS site has posted some pictures.
The National Weather Service is blaming the debris flow on a thunderstorm that dropped .84 of an inch of rain on Big Sur in one hour this afternoon. Showers are expected to diminish overnight.
8:00AM April 8 Update
CalTrans thinks they may have one lane open by 10:00AM.
Last night’s local news coverage:
3:00PM April 8 Update
The highway is now fully reopened. Big Sur Kate has posted more photos.
This image of Pfeiffer Creek from Google Earth shows why the Big Sur Lodge and its parking lot were directly in the line of fire …