Flash flood warning issued in SLO County

Author

Carly Heltzel
October 14, 2025

Good morning. It’s Tuesday, and I’m looking at photos of the Blue Angels squadron from San Francisco’s Fleet Week. Onto the five Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and California stories you need to know for today.

1.

Officials issued a flash flood warning for SLO County last night after heavy rains hit the region. Rains is expected to continue through this afternoon. High winds could down power lines, and 3,400 residents are already without electricity across the county. Officials issued shelter-in-place orders for areas in proximity to burn scars, warning that debris could flood downward more easily.

2.

The Rave Guardian app is no longer, with a new nighttime safety app taking its place for Cal Poly students this year. Mustang Safe dropped at the beginning of this quarter with the hopes of providing a “more holistic approach” to campus safety. It’s essentially the same thing as Rave Guardian, just more Cal Poly-specific, providing safety features for students walking home at night, live chats with police officers, the option to share your location with a friend as you walk home and more.

3.

During Cal Poly’s first ever prescribed burn, four different agencies coached 24 students through their senior project: setting a controlled blaze to eliminate vegetation fuel on Cal Poly’s Escuela Ranch eight miles north of campus. The students said the event was stressful, adrenaline-inducing, eye-opening, educationally effective and most importantly, a success. The group burned 30 acres of grasses over the course of an hour.

4.

The San Fernando Valley gets a lot of hate from those in Los Angeles proper, with many characterizing it as a “cultural wasteland” geographically and psychologically distinct from LA, despite being within the city’s borders. One writer said that it defies the “Valley Girl” stereotype, with most of the population being working-class and Latino. “It’s interesting that the portrayal of the Valley is the place where rich white girls go to the mall and spend daddy’s money,” she said.

5.

If you think you have the cutest pet in SLO or if you just want to vote on other people’s furry friends, The Tribune is holding a contest to determine the cutest cat and dog in the county. Along with biographical information, owners must submit one fun fact or personality trait of their animal before the vote is put up to public opinion (only the top 50 applicants will make the ballot). The first round of voting begins next Monday, Oct. 20 and ends at midnight on Wednesday Oct. 22.