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A severe winter storm was expected to douse Ventura County over Christmas week. Here's the latest.
Metrolink, which provides commuter train service, reported tracks between Oxnard and Camarillo were closed Wednesday morning, because of downed power lines. After the lines were cleared, a tree reportedly fell on the tracks in the area, officials said, warning passengers to expect delays. Metrolink initially urged people to skip the Simi Valley station because of flooding, but provided an update shortly after 10 a.m., saying the station was open to passengers. There were reports of flooding in areas of the parking lot and downed trees near the Hidden Ranch Drive entrance, but officials said the entrance off Los Angeles Avenue was accessible.
Ventura County authorities responded by helicopter Wednesday morning to a remote area of Lockwood Valley after reports of flooding that may have left some residents stranded. One cabin had been damaged by flooding, according to initial reports, and additional cabins in the area were threatened. The damaged cabin was unoccupied, however, other residents nearby were unable to leave because of rising floodwaters, authorities said.
Harmon Canyon, a popular Ventura hiking spot, closed Wednesday. The Ventura Land Trust, which manages the 2,100-acre preserve off Foothill Road, announced the closure as heavy rain continued to drench the county. The spot could be closed for several days or longer, officials said. A team was expected to be on the ground and monitoring conditions, according to the land trust. The area likely would reopen after trails dried out and conditions were considered safe for public access.
The radar showed moderate to locally heavy rainfall still several miles off the coast as of 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. "We've still got several hours left," said Mike Wofford, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. "We're going to be looking at periods of moderate to heavy rain here through at least early to midafternoon." The forecast then calls for a break in the storm later Wednesday afternoon and night, before another burst of rain on Christmas. That wave of the storm likely will have less wind, and the rainfall won't be quite as heavy. Officials warned, however, that driving conditions could remain hazardous. Showers were expected to continue on and off at least through Friday, Wofford said.
The Ventura County Fire Department was inundated with storm-related calls early Wednesday amid heavy rainfall and gusty winds. "We brought in extra dispatchers to help with the call volume, and even with that, our call volume has been overwhelming," said Andrew Dowd, a department spokesperson. The significant majority of calls were related to trees that had fallen across roads or into power lines, power lines down and traffic crashes, he said. Authorities had received some reports of flooding but not a lot as of 7:30 a.m. In addition to extra dispatchers, the department also added other personnel during the storm, including heavy-equipment operators and hand crews that could respond to downed trees and any flooding.
Law enforcement agencies throughout the county reported a myriad of storm-related incidents, from downed trees to traffic crashes. But as of 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, no major injuries had been reported to the police. Officials closed Adohr Lane near the Camarillo Springs Golf Course ahead of the heaviest downpours. The road is expected to reopen when conditions improve. To check the status of county roads, go to publicworks.venturacounty.gov/roadclosures/. Highway closures are available at roads.dot.ca.gov/roadscell.php.
Several power outages were reported Wednesday morning, including in Ventura and Simi Valley areas. In all, more than 6,000 customers may be without power locally, but outages were still being investigated, according to a Southern California Edison map. For more information or to report an outage, go to sce.com/outages-safety/outage-center/check-outage-status.
The Ventura County Fire Department responded to several reports of downed trees as fierce winds and heavy rainfall swept through local areas. Wind gusts reached over 60 mph in Camarillo Wednesday morning. Gusts close to 50 mph were reported in Ventura. With heavy rain falling, flows in local streams and creeks were rising, but as of 7:30 a.m., no major flooding had been reported, officials said. Patrick Maynard, director of the Ventura County Sheriff's Office of Emergency Services, urged residents to stay vigilant as the storm continued to make its way through the area. "There's several more hours of intense rainfall ahead of us," he said.
The Ventura Pier could remain closed through Saturday, when officials will assess any damage from the storm, officials said. Down the coast, the Hueneme Pier off Surfside Drive also closed Tuesday afternoon. The city of Port Hueneme said they would monitor weather conditions to determine when the pier could reopen. The National Weather Service has issued a high surf advisory for Ventura County beaches, warning of the potential for large breaking waves and dangerous rip currents. The advisory was scheduled to remain in effect through 11 a.m. Saturday.
A gauge in the Matilija Canyon area had recorded nearly 8 inches of rainfall by 7 a.m. Dec. 24. That was one of the highest local totals as a storm drenched Southern California. In all, some mountain spots could see more than 12 inches of rain by Saturday, according to the latest forecast. Closer to the coast, from Ventura to Port Hueneme, spots had received around 2 inches of rainfall. Totals in other local cities included: Camarillo – 1.4 inches Moorpark – 1.65 inches Santa Paula – 2 inches Simi Valley – 1.75 inches Thousand Oaks – 2.4 inches
The National Weather Service initially issued a flash flood warning for parts of Ventura County at 4 a.m., and expanded the warning at 5:45 a.m. The warning means flooding in low-lying areas, small creeks and streams, roads and underpasses was imminent or could be happening in some spots. It included locations from Ventura to Simi Valley, and from Rose Valley in the mountains above Ojai to Solimar Beach along the coast. The warning was scheduled to remain in effect through noon.
The timing of the atmospheric river soaking parts of Santa Barbara and Ventura counties has shifted by a few hours compared to earlier forecasts, officials said. The rainfall amounts and estimated rainfall rates had not changed, but the peak of the first front of the storm was two to three hours later than previous estimates, according to the National Weather Service. The peak of the Dec. 24 rainfall was expected from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Ventura County.
To sign up for emergency alerts in Ventura County, go to readyventuracounty.org/vc-alert. For more information about emergencies or disaster preparedness, visit vcemergency.com. Self-service sandbag supplies are available at some Ventura County Fire Department stations. A list of locations is available at vcfd.org/sandbag-stations/. For a list of Oxnard locations, visit oxnard.gov/fire-department/emergency-management/free-sand-sandbags. In Ventura, sandbag supplies are expected to be available at the city's maintenance yard, 336 Sanjon Road. Residents were asked to bring their own shovel.
The city of Ventura issued an evacuation order for the Ventura Beach RV Resort to take effect at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Elsewhere, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office of Emergency Services issued evacuation warnings for parts of the Mountain Fire burn area in and around Camarillo and several communities north of Ventura and Ojai. A warning means people should be prepared to leave but the threat was not yet imminent. They took effect at 6 p.m. Tuesday and were set to remain in place through 6 p.m. Wednesday for: Parts of the Mountain Fire Burn scar Matilija Canyon, North Fork and the Camino Cielo area Camp Chaffee neighborhood, north of Ventura An interactive map of the affected areas was available at vcemergency.com. The county's OES also issued hazardous weather advisories for Creek Road from Highway 33 to Encino Drive in the Ojai Valley area, and for the La Conchita community, off Highway 101 north of Ventura.