Dec 05
Humans like to build on flat level land. Problem is the water likes it too. We can go decades between floods in San Luis County but when a cloud bursts the results can be swift. Any time rain falls faster than one inch per hour flooding is likely to follow. Parts of South Higuera Street …
Feb 22
The epic flooding of 1914 has been covered in two previous posts. One shows flooding as Tally Ho Creek cuts through Branch Street in Arroyo Grande. The other shows the structure that gives Bridge Street a name, undermined by flooding. This looks to be the same bridge from the opposite point of view and view …
Dec 20
The joke about California is that there are only two seasons, fire and mudslide. The season totals in mid-March 1958 were about two inches under our annual average of 24.36 inches for San Luis Obispo. At least two storms that year produced newsworthy flooding. The storm shown there hit Nipomo hard. Before tract homes and …
Jul 12
Arroyo Grande is embarking on a year long celebration of city-hood. The town incorporated July 10, 1911 but it was a rocky start. It is unclear from the front page July 11, 1911 article in The Telegram if the incorporation had significant opposition or if the editor was just confused about the process. It could …
Jan 19
January 19, 1914 The photo is from Arroyo Grande city offices and this storm headline is from the same year. The raging creek is not the big one, it is Arroyo Grande Creek tributary Tally Ho. The Daily Telegram headline is more than a little schizophrenic. On one hand it says the damage is light …
May 28
May, 24, 1969 40 years ago Lopez Lake was dedicated, but the dam had already saved the south county. In past flood years nothing slowed the raging waters of the grand arroyo. Old flood photos are spectacular, water smashing through the old town of Arroyo Grande. Sometimes dunites were isolated for days until the creek …
Jan 29
If you are tired of seeing stories about rain, this is the last post on the floods of ’69. I was trying to recreate the relentless nature of the storms with the daily postings but after this I am returning to the usual three posts a week cycle. It takes longer to research items when …
Jan 28
January 28, 1969 Below the brand new Lopez dam flooding was unusually light. Upstream 78-year-old Heinie Nelson was fighting to survive. A preliminary report had appeared the day before but this edition had a fuller account. Quoting from the Gilbert Moore story: “Friday night,” said Heinie, “the first thing that went was the pump. Then …
Jan 27
Elisha Holmes, (left) and Elbert Williams (house in background) both lost homes in Paso Robles. January 27, 1969 This time it was the North County’s turn. It is typical for Santa Margarita to hold the mark for most rainfall in the county but in this 24-hour period Paso Robles edged into the lead with 2.01 …
Jan 26
January 26, 1969 The then Telegram-Tribune did not have a Sunday edition in the 1960′s, but that did not stop the epic rain. The water kept rising, this time the North County was hit hard. Reporter/Photographer Michael Raphael made the photo above Sunday in the North County. If you recognize the location add a comment. …
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