A California National Guard unit from Chico, California, arrived in Montecito on Jan. 12, 2023, to process debris basin material at the Randall Road Debris Basin. As long as the weather allows, debris management operations will occur 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and the Guard is expected to be mobilized in the area for a few weeks. Sediment deposit operations at Goleta Beach will also occur daily for 24 hours a day. This work will help clean out and prepare the Randall Road debris basin for incoming winter storms.
First District Supervisor Das Williams thanked the National Guard for dedicating their resources to protecting the community. “Each member of the National Guard that has been deployed to the Randall Road Debris Basin has left their family and homes so they can help us protect ours. I want to thank every one of them for their service and for helping keep residents and visitors to the Montecito community safe.”
Construction on the Randall Road Debris Basin, the largest in Montecito, was completed in the fall of 2022. This project dates back to the Thomas Fire and 1/9 Debris Flow when community members expressed support for a new debris basin. The project was approved in August 2020, and construction on the $21.3 million project began in May 2021. The project was funded by a FEMA $13.5 million Hazard Mitigation Program Grant and a State $4.5M Community Development Block Grant.
For up-to-date information on upcoming storms, visit https://www.readysbc.org/.
