As spotty power outages and anticipated flooding put a damper on businesses and neighborhoods countywide during last weekend’s storm, the section of Gaviota Coast scorched by last summer’s Sherpa Fire suffered the worst damage. A torrential downpour that started in the early-morning hours of Friday, January 20, scoured the 7,474-acre wildfire scar, triggering flash floods and dangerous debris flows.
The El Capitan Canyon private campground reportedly lost five structures and 22 vehicles to flash flooding as the swollen creek pushed trees, boulders, and two vehicles downstream all the way under Highway 101 to the ocean at El Capitan State Beach. Both campgrounds were evacuated without injuries. While state officials hope to have the public campground open by this weekend, the private campground remains closed as crews mop up with heavy machinery. Nearby Ocean Mesa RV Resort and Campground also remained closed as of Wednesday morning.
In the canyon immediately west of El Capitan, Corral Creek cut a wide swath as it backed up behind a debris-clogged concrete tunnel beneath the highway. The rising waters inundated a nearby avocado orchard and severely damaged the Orella Adobes, a pair of historic landmarks built by Ygnacio Ortega as part of the original Rancho Cañada del Corral. Ownership passed to the Orella family in 1866. ExxonMobil Corporation has owned the property since 1971.