Key facts
- Alert
- Flash Flood Warning (severe)
- Issued by
- National Weather Service, Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
- Areas
- Santa Barbara, CA
- Places
- Santa Barbara, Montecito, Carpinteria, Summerland
- In effect
- until 2:00 AM PDT, Oct 22, 2026
- Detection
- Radar indicated
What the National Weather Service says
“Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads.”
NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA, Flash Flood Warning, 12:15 AM PDT Oct 22, 2026 · official alert
“Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.”
NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA, Flash Flood Warning, 12:15 AM PDT Oct 22, 2026 · official alert
“Life threatening flash flooding of creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses.”
NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA, Flash Flood Warning, 12:15 AM PDT Oct 22, 2026 · official alert
What to do
Do not drive into flooded roads. The National Weather Service says to turn around, don't drown, because most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Never drive around barricades.
Move to higher ground if you are in a spot that floods, such as near a creek, stream or underpass. Just 6 inches of moving water can knock you down, and 1 foot of moving water can sweep a vehicle away.
Stay alert for rock slides and mud slides, which the warning says are expected. Avoid steep slopes and areas below them while the warning lasts.
Check the National Weather Service for updates until the warning ends at 2:00 AM PDT.
Context
FEMA records 1313 flood-insurance claims in Santa Barbara County between 1978 and 2026, as of 2026-09-09. These counts only cover homes with flood insurance, so they understate total flood losses.
FEMA has issued several disaster declarations for the county that included flooding, landslides and mudslides. The most recent was number 4769 on 2024-04-13, for severe winter storms, tornadoes, flooding, landslides, and mudslides.
Updates
- The flash flood warning expired at 2:00 AM PDT.
- The National Weather Service updated the flash flood warning; it remains in effect until 2:00 AM PDT.
- The National Weather Service updated the flash flood warning; it remains in effect until 2:00 AM PDT.
- NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA issued the flash flood warning until 2:00 AM PDT.
History here
Santa Barbara County: 1313 flood insurance claims in FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program records since 1978, most recent 2026.
Santa Barbara County: recent federal disaster declarations
- DR-4769 (2024): severe winter storms, tornadoes, flooding, landslides, and mudslides
- DR-4699 (2023): severe winter storms, straight-line winds, flooding, landslides, and mudslides
- DR-4683 (2023): severe winter storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides
- DR-4431 (2019): severe winter storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides
- DR-4353 (2018): wildfires, flooding, mudflows, and debris flows
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Questions
- Is there a flash flood warning in Santa Barbara, California?
- Yes. The National Weather Service in Los Angeles/Oxnard issued a Flash Flood Warning at 10:14 PM PDT on October 21 for southeastern Santa Barbara County. It runs until 2:00 AM PDT.
- Which places are affected by the Santa Barbara flash flood warning?
- The warning names Santa Barbara, Montecito, Carpinteria and Summerland as places that will experience flash flooding.
- How much rain is expected in the Santa Barbara warning area?
- The National Weather Service says the expected rainfall rate is 1 to 1.5 inches in 1 hour. It also warns of life threatening flash flooding and dangerous rock slides and mud slides.
Sources
- NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA: Flash Flood Warning, Oct 22, 2026 weather.gov
- FEMA OpenFEMA: NFIP claims and disaster declarations fema.gov
How this page is made. The Herebeat Hazard Desk builds event pages from official U.S. government data (National Weather Service, USGS, FEMA). The text is written with AI from that data; every number and quote is checked against the official source automatically before publishing, and the page is updated when the agency updates the event. The official source is always the reference. Spotted a mistake? info@herebeat.app. About the Hazard Desk.