1st Storm of Season Brings Rain, Lightning to the County : Weather: Meteorologists say the early downpour may signal the start of a wetter-than-normal autumn.

The first storm of the season rumbled across Ventura County Sunday night and early Monday, dropping the heaviest rain on cities in the east county and stunning residents with bursts of lightning.

Forecasters predicted that a second, slightly weaker storm front may bring more rain Wednesday night to the mountains and inland valleys of Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Scattered showers may occur in other areas.

Meteorologists said the early storm signals the start of a wetter-than-normal autumn, although they said it’s too early to tell whether the pattern will continue through winter’s traditionally rainy months.

“It’s a good start to the rainy season, which really doesn’t start in earnest until December or early January,” said Dean Jones, a meteorologist with Weather Data Inc., based in Wichita, Kan.

The same weather pattern that spawned the storm--an unstable mass of air swirling in the upper atmosphere off California--could combine with a subtropical jet stream and send more moisture toward the coast, Jones said.

“It’s just sitting off the coast, shooting pieces of unstable weather energy off of it, and those pieces of energy are what’s helping generate the rain,” he said.

Jones said a similar pattern last winter helped break California’s six-year drought.

Authorities said autumn’s first storm caused few major traffic problems in Ventura County and only a handful of power outages. But the storm did wreak havoc at a Thousand Oaks church where a roof is under construction, and it hampered the search for a lost motorcyclist on Frazier Mountain.

Workers at the First United Methodist Church on Janss Road in Thousand Oaks spent Monday cleaning up an office building and some classrooms that were soaked when rain poured through an old roof that was scheduled to be replaced Monday.

Church members had removed much of the roof in recent weeks, leaving the rooms exposed during the storm. Once the rains began Sunday evening, plastic sheets were used to cover the roof. Volunteers worked several hours through the night trying to keep the rain from leaking in.

On Monday morning, carpets were being dried by propane heaters and fans. Because of the damage, the church planned to hold a Monday night dinner for the homeless outside and cancel other such meals scheduled for the next few days.

Meanwhile, rain, fog and wind hindered the search of Frazier Mountain for lost motorcyclist Randy Tamayo, 30, of Whittier. He was found Monday afternoon, after spending the night looking for two friends from whom he had become separated during a day of off-road motorcycling.

“He was a little damp and a little tired, and probably a little bit hungry,” Lt. Gary Markley said.

In Ventura County, the storm hovered over Simi Valley, drenching the city with .68 inches--more than double the city’s October average of .29 inches.

Other storm totals as of 8 a.m. Monday included .45 inches in Thousand Oaks, .37 inches in Moorpark, .31 inches in El Rio, .30 inches in Port Hueneme and .28 inches in Oxnard. Like Simi Valley, those cities have also exceeded their average monthly rainfalls for October.

Light rain was measured in Ojai, Ventura and more isolated, mountainous areas. And trace amounts fell in Camarillo and Oak View.

For growers, the moderate rainfall served to wash off dust from citrus trees and other crops that had built up over the summer months.

“It was just enough to wash off the plant surfaces, which will enhance the photosynthesis in the coming weeks,” said Terry Schaeffer, National Weather Service meteorologist in Santa Paula.

County Rainfall

Here are rainfall figures as of 8 a.m. Monday from the Ventura County Flood Control District. Oct. 1 is the beginning of the official rain year.

Rainfall Rainfall Normal rainfall Location since Sunday since Oct. 1 to date Camarillo 0.00 0.00 0.12 Casitas Dam 0.09 0.09 0.16 El Rio 0.31 0.31 0.11 Fillmore 0.30 0.30 0.14 Moorpark 0.37 0.37 0.12 Ojai 0.15 0.15 0.15 Upper Ojai 0.17 0.17 0.15 Oxnard 0.28 0.28 0.09 Piru 0.25 0.25 0.13 Santa Paula 0.28 0.28 0.13 Simi Valley 0.68 0.68 0.10 Thousand Oaks 0.45 0.45 0.10 Ventura Govt. Center 0.21 0.21 0.11