ROAD CLOSED AT THREE POINTS

Here's the latest from Lt. Sean Gerrity on road closures due to rain:

We've have mud and earth/debris slides reported at three locations, all occurring between about 9:00 PM and 9:30 PM earlier.

- South Grade Road at about the 45 mile marker (apparent earth slide and/or debris slide), about 3/4 the way up Palomar Mountain from Highway 76. South Grade Road is completely impassible, and has been closed. County Roads is handling the closure (at this time, presumably between Highway 76 and East Grade Road [S-7]). La Jolla Fire Chief Wes Ruiz reported it may take a day or more to clear this. Supervisor Burt Quick from DPW/County Roads is evaluating this. Although he had not arrived to personally evaluate the site, from what he understands it might be possible to open one lane of travel rather soon, and perhaps even the entire roadway within five or so hours.

- Highway 76 just west of South Grade Road (mudslide/debris flow). Highway 76 is closed between Valley Center Road and the Lake Henshaw resort (residents and business employees of Palomar Mountain can access the mountain via Lake Henshaw and East Grade Road only). CalTrans initially requested closure, and I sent SDSO units to do so until they could be relieved by CHP. CalTrans cleared the mud debris off of the road itself, and thought it would be okay, until the next heavy rain burst happened on Palomar Mountain above. There are two culverts clogged, and the rain burst above caused a fairly sizeable river to flow over the road down below rather than through the culverts (water deep enough to cause spin-outs and/or drown cars). Sporadic shower activity, forming roughly off of the Oceanside coast and passing this way, continued to develop until about 2:00 AM. Local weather is currently calm, with significantly reduced shower activity forming off of the Oceanside coast. Per a conversation Rand Allan had with NWS at about 11:00 PM, further potentially heavy showers are anticipated from a system currently north of us, off of the Los Angeles coast, expected to arrive between 3:00 AM and 6:00 AM (if conditions don't change). CalTrans has to bring in heavy equipment in the morning to clean out the culverts, before they can open the road again. This happened a few weeks ago at the same spot, and they had it opened by about 1:00 PM. Hopefully the damage is the same or less than the last time.

- Pauma Reservation Road north of Highway 76 (mud debris). CalTrans and/or County Roads have cleared this of mud debris and it has been re-opened.