Devastation: Residents are grappling with the aftermath of the deluge that battered SLO County Jan. 9 and 10 

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• Photo By Jayson Mellom
• COMMUNITY HELP Hundreds of volunteers in Los Osos gathered to help residents on Vista Court dig out their homes from a mudslide caused when stormwater pushed through a Los Osos Community Services District water basin levee on Jan. 9.

A historic, powerful winter storm slammed San Luis Obispo County on Jan. 9, causing at least one fatality, widespread flooding and property damage, road closures, and infrastructural damage across the county.

The atmospheric river that had the Central Coast at its center arrived overnight on Jan. 9 and rapidly drenched the region with several inches of rain—overwhelming local creeks and drainage systems.

By sunrise, San Luis Creek had jumped the Marsh Street bridge in SLO and gushed water into local neighborhoods. By sunset, the Salinas River had reached its flood stage and the Arroyo Grande Creek levee system was on the verge of failure, triggering evacuation orders in Paso Robles and Oceano.

Dave Hovde, longtime meteorologist with KSBY News, described the Jan. 9 event as the "perfect storm"—the heaviest of a "parade of storms" that have hit the state this winter—and the most significant in SLO County in 50 years.

"This was absolutely the highest end, worst case scenario. We were in the bull's eye for this atmospheric river event," Hovde told New Times. "An atmospheric river is just a stream of moisture, and it's just like a river channeling through your town. That's why water is everywhere."

As of Jan. 11, the worst of the storm had passed, but the fallout remained. A 5-year-old boy from San Miguel was still missing after a rising creek at San Marcos Road swept him from a vehicle. Significant flooding and mudslides—from Oceano to Los Osos—wrecked homes and businesses, and left others stranded. Hundreds were still without power across the county.

Rachel Dion, a spokesperson for SLO County Office of Emergency Services, said that the county is now in "recovery mode" and focused on helping residents who are cut off from services due to road damage or without shelter due to flooding.

"We were braced for it, but I think nothing can really prepare you for the situation that we saw," Dion said. "It's really the worst storm we've had in a very, very long time."

OTHER LOCAL STORM COVERAGE

Community bands together amid evacuations

County scrambles to provide shelter while tragedies hit

Residents face flood- and mud-damaged homes and businesses

Levee systems, dozens of roads and bridges damaged

Editor Camillia Lanham, Assistant Editor Peter Johnson, and Staff Writers Bulbul Rajagopal and Shwetha Sundarrajan contributed to this report.