MT. WILSON TRAIL CLOSURE – due to a large rock slide, Mt. Wilson Trail will be closed until further notice. The heavy rains have caused a large amount of large rocks & debris to block the trail making it very unstable and unsafe for hikers. The damage will take some time to clear and at this time it is unknown when the trail will re-open. Residents and visitors are not permitted on the trail. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your cooperation. Violators will be cited SMMC 9.24.090.

For updated information, please look on the City’s website www.cityofsierramadre.com or contact the Community & Personnel Services Department at (626) 355-5278.

12/13/09 - Part of Skyland Remains Closed, 9am

Part of Skyland Drive, right where it goes from East/West to South, at or about the 800 block, remains closed due to mud in the road.  Here's some pics taken at 9:18 this morning.  Click to enlarge.

12/13/09 - City Rescinds Yellow Flag Alert, No Flag at This Time, 8:12am, posted 8:39am

12/13/09 - LACDPW Ends Phase I Watch, 7:05am

LACDPW has announced at 6:49am that “WATER RESOURCES DIVISION HAS DETERMINED THAT A DEBRIS AND MUDFLOW POTENTIAL FORECAST IS NOT WARRANTED AT THIS TIME.”  In other words, Phase I alert for Sierra Madre has ended.  This should also result in the City announcing shortly that Yellow Flag alert has ended.  Here's the announcement.

12/12/09 - Personal Observations posted 10:30pm

The following observations were posted real time via mobile phone on my blog, http://sierramadrenewsnet.blogspot.com.  As much as possible, I'll be posting to the blog real time as I'm driving around, then re-posting here.  If there's something in parentheses, that's been added as I'm posting here.  The photo of  Skyland is being posted for the first time now.  In the future, I'll be posting photos from the field, but only during the day.  My iPhone just doesn't have the capability to take night pictures.

9:10pm - Auburn debris basin looks good. LACDPW truck driving up as I left.

9:18pm - 1 Carter and 1 Carter east all clear. Truck pulling out from behind closed gates at top of Baldwin as I went by so somebody is monitoring it.

9:25pm - Skyland is closed due to mud. (North end at, if I remember correctly, 875 Skyland, not sure where the south end closes, click photo to enlarge).

9:33pm - Mud on Skyland pretty much stops at Idlehour.

9:41pm - Woodland, Alta Vista and Yucca Trail all clear.  LACDPW truck coming down Woodland as I we(n)t up.

9:52pm - Camillo, Lotus and Sunrise Hill all clear. LACDPW coming down as I went up again. They're all over. (probably the same truck at most if not all these locations).

10:06pm - Went up Stonehouse by search and rescue. Dead end looks like potential for mud but the street is clear as of now. LACDPW is here too.

12/12/09, City Announces Yellow Flag Status, 9:03am

12/12/09, City Upgrades to Yellow Flag Status, 8:34am

The City has upgraded to Yellow Flag.  Expect an announcement on SMTV3, E-blast and City Emergency blog shortly.  Will post it here when it is received.

12/12/09, LACDPW Issues Phase I Alert, 7:57am

LACDPW has issued a Phase I alert for emergency personnel to watch for mudflow and debris, from 4pm Saturday, 12/14 through 4pm Sunday, 12/15.  Click here to view the announcement from LACDPW.  Phase I = Small isolated debris and mudflows possible at specific locations.  Streets may be flooded or blocked by debris.  Reports of debris on private property may be received.  Few, if any, structures may be endangered.

12/6/09, LACDPW Continues Phase I, 5:39am

LACDPW is continuing its Phase I alert for emergency personnel to watch for mudflow and debris, from 4am Monday, 12/7 through 4am Tuesday, 12/8.  Click here to view the announcement from LACDPW.  A Phase I alert is generally followed by the City upgrading to at least a Green Flag alert, and it is anticipated that the City will, as 4am 12/7 approaches, upgrade to at least Green Flag status.

Excerpt from announcement:  It is recommended that emergency response entities monitor the following areas for potential mudflow deposition on: Auburn Avenue east of Auburn Debris Basin; the development under construction north of Carter Avenue; Carter Avenue between the development and Mira Monte Avenue; Mt. Wilson Trail near Mira Monte Avenue; Churchill Road near Skyland Drive; Skyland Drive; streets below Sierra Madre Debris Dam (Sumac Trail, Brookside Lane, Woodland Drive); Yucca Trail; Lotus Lane, above Camillo Street and Sturtevant Debris Basin; Sunrise Hill Lane; Santa Anita Canyon Road above Lannan Debris Basin.

**  Regarding both the SierraMudre.Info website and its alert notice e-mail list - While we will do our best to post alerts and send e-mail notices in a timely manner, there are many reasons why we may not be able to send e-mail alerts and/or update the website when notices are received.  Note that October 3rd, I underwent a quadruple bypass and am currently operating in diminished capacity.  SierraMudre.Info and SierraMadreNews.net are basically one-person operations.  If I am out patrolling the area, or working, or out of town, or just out of the office, or away from my computer for any reason, I may not be aware that an alert has come in.  SierraMadreNews.net and SierraMudre.info offer this website and the e-mail alert program as a public service, and accept no responsibility for the passage of time between alerts arriving in our office and the posting on our site or the sending of an alert by our program.  By signing up for this e-mail alert program, you are acknowledging that you recognize that alerts may not be sent in a timely manner, and agree to hold harmless and indemnify SierraMadreNews.net, SierraMudre.info, The Coburn Group and Bill Coburn in the event of any damage or harm caused by storms, mudflow and debris.  E-mail notices will be sent when we post notices that we have received alerts regarding potential mudflow or change in storm alert status from any government agency, i.e., the City of Sierra Madre, Los Angeles County, Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Works, etc.  For OFFICIAL news and information, visit the City's emergency blog: http://sierramadrepio.blogspot.com   SIGN UP FOR THE SIERRAMUDRE.INFO E-MAIL ALERT NOTICE PROGRAM