The Great Storm of 1914

SANTA BARBARA—On Jan. 25, 1914, a storm dumped 9.36 inches of ran within 48 hours in the Santa Barbara area, gaining the title of “The Great Storm of 1914.” This photo of Cabrillo Boulevard shows the flood damage of the storm. Stearns Wharf is between the two buildings on the right. According to an article in the Jan. 27, 1914 issue of the Los Angeles Herald, practically every bridge was swept away, boulevards devastated and houses, railway stations and public buildings marooned in several feet of water.

“At 2 o’clock this morning the high, tide, one of the highest of the year, finished the demolition of the ocean front boulevard, begun yesterday by the storm,” the article went on to say. “The damage will amount to several hundred thousand dollars. The residence of Dr. R. W. Hill, landmark of the Rincon road, has been washed into the sea.”

Santa Barbara Historical Museum photo