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The Great Storm of 1914
updated: Jan 01, 2011, 10:30 AM
by Neal Graffy XNGH
At the first hint of precipitation, today's media quickly update their "Stormwatch" icons and focus their cameras and microphones on the first trickle of water down the gutter. Each drop of rain is bisected and dissected and we are often inundated with more dire predictions of doom, gloom, death and despair than we are with actual moisture. But sometimes, we do get hit with storms of epic proportions.
The first maps of California depicted it as an island. The nearly nonstop storms from November 1861 through January 1862 came close to realizing that fantasy. In Los Angeles, twenty-eight days of constant rain measured nearly 36 inches while Sonora reported over 100 inches! The Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys were flooded to the point where they could have been called lakes rather than valleys. For Santa Barbara, the storms were so severe that the Goleta Slough, once deep enough for ships to sail into, was filled in with silt and debris washed down from the mountains and deposited by the overflowing creeks. Santa Barbara's estero which generally covered the lower eastside in the wet seasons was reported to have turned into a lake stretching from Garden to Milpas and as far up as Anapamu leaving Olive Street (Canal Street in those days) as a finger of land rising above the water and other high spots like the Gonzales adobe (between Laguna, Garden, Canon Perdido and de la Guerra) appearing as small islands.
Of course there are more rains and floods we could mention but in keeping with our current stormy weather and exciting photos of creeks running high we will set the Way-Back Machine to Sunday, January 25, 1914 when 9.36 inches of rain fell within 48 hours with some 4 inches alone falling over a two hour period. (Disclaimer! The postcards and news of the day declared it to be 9.36" whereas the rainfall charts of today report it as 6.95").
This event is to the best of my knowledge the first major photo-documented Santa Barbara storm and I thought it would be interesting to view what happened back then along Mission Creek and for those of you who remember 1995 and 1998, how little has changed.
The Canon Perdido bridge at Mission Creek. Despite the huge pile up of debris, fences and parts of homes, the bridge held firm.
This was not the case for the de la Guerra Street bridge which gave up and headed downstream. The Ortega Street bridge shows in the distance.
The scene between Ortega and Haley streets.
Below Haley at Bath. Though the bridge held, several homes were undermined including a grocer's store that was picked up and floated across the street where it came to rest against a telephone pole. This is the area that they are currently digging out for the new Haley Street bridge.
Next time you're down by the train station take a look over the railing and see how far below Mission Creek is. In the storm of 1914 the creek was way outside of that nice sandstone channel the Southern Pacific Railroad had built for it in the early 1900s and was coursing over the tracks, loading platform and through the depot. The nearby Neal Hotel had water over a foot deep flowing through its lobby.
A great shot looking up Mission Creek towards the Mason Street bridge. It looks like the photographer was standing in the middle of the creek! The shot appears to be in the middle of the block as the creek curves east towards State just past this point. Perhaps there was a footbridge crossing the creek here like there is today. I don't think cameras had telephoto lenses back then that would have allowed them to shoot a scene like this from a safe distance back. However they did it, it's a wonderful photo. The Potter Hotel is at far left. The two homes in the center of the photo were owned by the Kimberly family (of nearby Kimberly Avenue) and are still standing.
The bridge at East Cabrillo Boulevard. Helena Street in the background as the locals fish for logs and other debris to keep them from jamming up the flow of water under the bridge.
A view of the first block of West Cabrillo Boulevard. This photo shows that back then as well as today there is never a shortage of people competing for the Darwin Award.
Cleaning up at State and Yanonali. The view is looking at the east side of the street. Sebastian Larco's fish shop at 210 State can be seen just to the right of the telephone pole behind the car. Old timers will remember that corner location (a Lunch Parlor in 1914) as the Busy Bee Café (1940s - 1960s) followed by the Rescue Mission (mid60s to late 1980s). Ironically a brewery moved in following the Rescue Mission's departure replacing the Holy Sprit with a wholly different spirit.
A field of mud surrounds the Southern Pacific Depot….
and it was back again in 1995.
The area to the east of Stearns Wharf is known as "Fool's Anchorage" as severe storms generally bring one or more ships ashore. This storm was sixteen years before the breakwater would provide a safe haven so boats on either side of the wharf were subject to King Neptune's wrath. This little boat has come to a perfectly balanced perch a few feet west of the wharf. Note in the background the waves crashing over the boulevard. There was little sand along this section of west beach until the breakwater came in (see past edhat history articles for more about the waterfront changes).
The waves tore away the seawall along West Cabrillo Boulevard and a decent portion of the walkway and road went along with it. Compare where the two men are standing to where the "natural" lay of the land is. This gives you an idea of how much "fill" (about six to eight feet in some areas) was added in grading the boulevard and how much sand has been deposited over the years.
The 1914 storm also saw portions of Old Spanish Town in Montecito washed away as Montecito Creek jammed up at the East Valley bridge overflowed its banks and undermined homes. The downpour caused two fatalities, Louis and Elizabeth Jones, who were drowned while attempting to cross Oak Creek in Montecito to get home to their children.
What does the future hold for us? Well, the storm of January 1995 was so big that "they" called it a "500-year storm" (i.e. a storm that occurs once every 500 years). Two months later, Santa Barbara was hammered again by yep, another 500-year storm. So I figure we're good for the next half millennium! In case I'm wrong, keep an umbrella handy.
Cleaning up at Mason and State in 1995.
Neal Graffy is a Santa Barbara historian, his book "Street Names of Santa Barbara" is available at Chaucers, Vices and Spices, Santa Barbara Arts and Tecolote Books as well as online at www.elbarbareno.com. A new coffee-table book "Historic Santa Barbara" has recently been released and can be found at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum and Chaucers.
Photos courtesy Neal Graffy collection. 1995 storm photos by Mike Eliason, Santa Barbara News-Press
Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)
COMMENT 132357
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2011-01-01 10:57 AM |
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Wonderful photos. Your work is always appreciated, Neal!
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COMMENT 132360
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2011-01-01 11:07 AM |
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This is one of the best Edhat posts I have ever read.
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COMMENT 132366
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2011-01-01 11:28 AM |
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Wonderful, Neal! Thanks. Remember, "Time and tide wait for no man..."
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COMMENT 132367
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2011-01-01 11:32 AM |
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Thank You Neal, great history of town as always. I remember the 95 flood as I was in West Beach then made for a interesting couple days.
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AQUAHOLIC
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2011-01-01 11:35 AM |
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Fantastic photos and story!
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COMMENT 132384
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2011-01-01 12:07 PM |
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Great presentation again Neal and I love how pic heavy this one is. - In '95 I was driving my car through the state street underpass and saw about six inches of water in the bottom of it and figured it was no problem. Then I started up the other side and the water was still six inches deep all the way to the top and I knew it was a problem. I turned into the Amtrak lot and had so much debris washing up against my car that I abandoned it and walked home. If I was smarter I would have driven around to Montecito street and waited high and dry.
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COMMENT 132400
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2011-01-01 12:44 PM |
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A sad irony played out in the '95 storm when a family friend was torn and washed from his home (his wife just barely survived) in Sycamore Canyon by the torrent of rushing water. Found drowned the next morning downstream in the creek bed by the round-about. Many of you will recall the incident. The irony: he and his wife had tickets to the symphony that night but decided to stay home where it was safer, rather than brave the elements out and around town in the heavy rain.
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COMMENT 132403P
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2011-01-01 01:02 PM |
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@132400 My sincere condolences on the loss of your friend. I seem to recall that a beloved pet was lost as well. At that time, and on that particular night I was on duty with the SBFD. What a crazy night it was, we spent most of the shift patrolling our district, checking the creek levels and mitigating hazards as they arose, as many did that night. You quickly realize that we are no match for mother nature, coupled with fate and circumstance almost anything can, and does happen.
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COMMENT 132404
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2011-01-01 01:03 PM |
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I moved to Santa Barbara in 1990 when everyone was talking about the long drought. It seemed to me that there was plenty of rain which continued at a normal rate until the drought was declared over in 1993. Than came 1995, lots and lots of rain. The clean air express I was on was stuck on the pass for hours, it was scary watching the mud and rocks churning across the road. Was that the year Queen Elizabeth came to visit Ronald Reagan up at the ranch? Scared her too!
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COMMENT 132405P
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2011-01-01 01:10 PM |
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Wonderful writeup and photos. Hope we can have more like this.
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COMMENT 132410
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2011-01-01 01:35 PM |
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Loved the photos and historical look at our weather trials and tribulations. Also, great comments and memories shared by Edhatters.
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COMMENT 132411
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2011-01-01 01:45 PM |
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This is an example of what used to be called journalism. There is a topic, the topic is discussed, reviewed, and supported by facts and research. Reading it was like sitting with an old friend. Keep up the good work!
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COMMENT 132415
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2011-01-01 01:54 PM |
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Thank you so much for this tidbit of local history. And we had just complained among friends that edhat isn't what it used to be. Thanks for proving us wrong.
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ARCHIE
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2011-01-01 02:37 PM |
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Thank you so much for taking the time to put together and share your knowledge. 132411: you said it!
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COMMENT 132430
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2011-01-01 02:56 PM |
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Awesome photos and some great views of S.B. back then...thanks for posting them. Does anyone happen to have any photos of when it snowed clear down to the beach back in the late 50's sometime? I used to live on San Antonio Creek Rd. back then and woke-up to about 2 inches of snow covering pretty much everything...got to skip school and enjoy it. I wonder how often something like that has happened in S.B.?
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SBBOOKWORM
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2011-01-01 03:02 PM |
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I second what 132411 wrote. Thanks, Neal, for providing this delightful and informative part of Edhat. Whenever I see a post by you I know I'm in for a treat.
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COMMENT 132463
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2011-01-01 06:10 PM |
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The queen visited the Reagan ranch in 1983, not 1995.
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COMMENT 132478
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2011-01-01 07:10 PM |
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I remember in '95 that plenty of boats washed up into the City College parking lot - d Bath street was so flooded the only way people could traverse was by kayak - such a sight. My hat is off to city public works people for making proper preparations since -
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KDEF
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2011-01-01 10:54 PM |
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Thank you, Neal. Your photos and description of the 1914 flood help me visualize the stories my father told me. It caused more damage than I had thought.
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COMMENT 132516P
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2011-01-02 08:21 AM |
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Ditto to 411. This was such an interesting read. Where can one see these photos? Is there a building/museum housing SB Historical info?
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TROLLEY TOM
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2011-01-02 08:22 AM |
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A+ for both the article and the photos. Thanks.
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COMMENT 132518P
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2011-01-02 08:55 AM |
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There is the Gledhill Library at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, 136 East De la Guerra St. (santabarbaramuseum.com)
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COMMENT 132525
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2011-01-02 09:28 AM |
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Thanks, Neal; 411 says it all. My Grandma talked about the 1914 flood. My mother was 2, her borther 4. One in diapers, the other had dysentry. Lots of laundry, no washer or dryer, just a wood stove to hang things by. Next to Oak Creek in Montecito; flooding brought lots of top soil, we had such fertile ground when I was growing up there (40's & 50's) something planted just took off like magic. Grandma said the couple killed crossing Oak Creek had been at a meeting and went to the Miramar (next door to Grams) to use the phone to check on the kids (with a nanny). No one answered so the headed out, after being begged not to go. Their was carriage swept away and the couple found with arms wrapped around each other down stream. One of the little children just died, last year I think.
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COMMENT 132541
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2011-01-02 09:53 AM |
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I too love Neal's articles here on Edhat. Informative, well-written, great pictures. Thank you!
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MCMAC
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2011-01-02 11:36 AM |
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Thank you for posting this... Amazing & wonderful to see so many 1914 photos!
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COMMENT 132598
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2011-01-02 11:55 AM |
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You can't leave out the twin storms of January 1969. 7.5 and 7.2 inches of rain in Santa Barbara in 48 hours. Much flooding, several bridges lost, San Ysidro at East Valley rd. 101 at Summerland (resulted in a fatality), 101 Bridge into Buelton etc. The massive street flooding on the lower East side and west side eventually resulted in the cross-town storm drain system into Mission creek being constructed.
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AGENTSME
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2011-01-02 11:58 AM |
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Thanks for this great post and the amazing photos.
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COMMENT 132670
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2011-01-02 03:40 PM |
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Grest post! Proves that research, intelligent comments and proper grammer are not dead after all. A joy to read!
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COMMENT 132789
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2011-01-02 10:22 PM |
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Great Photos, thanks!
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