National Weather Service Warns of Potential for Debris Flows in Sycamore Canyon

November 26, 2014

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Big Sur Rain

As much as 5-7 inches of rain are predicted for the Santa Lucia mountains during the coming week and the National Weather Service has issued an alert that includes the following warning:

HEAVY BURSTS OVER THE BIG SUR AREA MAY BE SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE CONCERN OVER DEBRIS FLOWS IN THE SYCAMORE CANYON AREA DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF THE PFEIFFER FIRE BURN SCAR.

As it’s been almost a year since the fire, debris flow hazards are not as acute as they were last winter. But as the rainfall brought by the coming storms may exceed anything we saw last winter, caution is certainly advised. Not only in Sycamore Canyon, but in all canyons draining steep unstable terrain. As in any large rain event, rockfall is likely to impact the highway. Once the heavy stuff starts to fall, best plan is to stay home by the fire until it’s over.