Batten down the hatches: A storm is expected to soak Santa Barbara County

Something wicked—and wet—this way comes. A sudden storm is expected to batter parts of Santa Barbara County over the next 24 hours, raising concerns about flooding, traffic jams and potential road closures. Forecasters predict that nearly two inches of rain will soak Santa Barbara and surrounding cities. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for parts of the Santa Ynez Valley and the Southern Coast of Santa Barbara County. No area is safe. “It kind of looks like everywhere is fair game,” said Bryan Lewis, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Oxnard. Crews are preparing for floods. “We’re expecting a good chance of pretty widespread urban flooding,” said Lewis, with a 20% to 30% chance of flashing flooding near burn scars and steep terrain areas. Thunderstorms have a 30% to 40% chance of thrashing the area, Lewis said.   Temperatures will stay below 70 degrees until Friday, according to the weather service forecast page.  The rai