Thursday, July 2, 2026 Sign In

El Niño Storm Wallops Santa Barbara

See photos and videos of this week's heavy rains.

El Niño Storm Wallops Santa Barbara
Flooding on Cota Street

As sheets of rain — with smatterings of lightning and hail — bombard Santa Barbara this week, Independent staff and readers are submitting photos and videos of the action. We'll post them here as they come in, and feel free to email news@independent.com with your own visuals. Also be sure to check us out on Facebook. Stay dry, and stay safe! (If you're viewing this on a mobile device, switch to the desktop version of our site to see more.)

Micheltorena Street.
Anacapa Street.
Flooding in the Solimar Fire burn area.
Sailboat washed up on Hope Ranch beach.
Flooding at Garden and Cota.
Caltrans maintenance supervisor Larry Weaverling (neon yellow) works to open clogged median drainage culverts that caused freeway flooding Tuesday morning. (Jan. 5, 2016)
Caltrans employees work to open clogged median drainage culverts that caused freeway flooding Tuesday morning. (Jan. 5, 2016)
Caltrans employees work to open clogged median drainage culverts that caused freeway flooding Tuesday morning. (Jan. 5, 2016)
A jackknifed semi blocked two lanes of southbound traffic in heavy rains on the 101 just before the Garden Street exit. (Jan. 5, 2014)
A historic tree at the Santa Barbara Mission that was uprooting during recent storms. (Jan. 6, 2016)