COUNTYWIDE : Misty Rain Causes Accidents, Outages

Light rain and mist fell over Ventura County on Saturday, causing at least 20 minor traffic accidents and several power outages, but hardly dampening the drought-stricken agricultural fields.

The western part of the county received the most precipitation, with Oxnard and Point Mugu reporting some rain, said Stephanie Hunter, a meteorologist for Weather Data Inc., a private weather service. Weather Data reported 0.13 inches of rain fell in Point Mugu on Saturday. Totals for other parts of the county were not available.

“It’s nothing too exciting,” Hunter said. “It will taper off by late (Saturday night).”

The mist and light showers caused many fender-benders on the freeways and local roads throughout the county, authorities said. The Ventura County Fire Department responded to 13 accidents on Saturday, and the California Highway Patrol reported 24 accidents in the county.

“People don’t slow down,” a CHP dispatcher said. “It’s just drizzle. That’s a little worse because all the oil floats to the top. If it was a heavy rain, it would get washed off quicker.”

The light rains also caused several small power outages throughout the county, said Tony Wilson, area manager for Southern California Edison.

“When it hasn’t rained a while, some of those insulators get some dust on them, and then the water will get in there and mix it with the cross currents, and you can have some poles catch on fire,” Wilson said.

The largest power outage in the county affected about 4,500 customers on Ventura Avenue at 2:50 p.m., Wilson said. Power was restored about an hour later, he said. About 2,700 customers in south Oxnard were also deprived of power for about half an hour, Wilson said. In east Ventura and Port Hueneme, two small outages occurred for about half a minute, he said.

The light precipitation will probably have no effect on the county’s drought-starved crops, said David Buettner, county deputy agricultural commissioner.

Forecasters said the cold front that brought in the mist and rain from the north would move through Orange County by Sunday morning.