Slow-Moving Storm Soaks County; More Rain Expected

A slow-moving storm soaked Ventura County with up to three-fourths of an inch of rain Saturday, worrying some hillside residents and causing several minor traffic accidents.

The California Highway Patrol reported that dozens of motorists slid off the road, while the Sheriff’s Department rescued a woman whose car went down a 20-foot embankment into Conejo Creek in Camarillo.

The woman suffered minor injuries, authorities said.

Officials with the National Weather Service in Oxnard expect an additional half inch to inch of rain today and Monday. The precipitation is expected to end by midday Monday, said meteorologist Joe Dandrea.

In Oak View, Ventura County Fire Department officials warned residents in two homes near a hillside on North Ventura Avenue that a mudslide is possible and that they should voluntarily evacuate the area.

“It definitely poses a threat to anyone staying around here,” said fire Capt. Chris Mann. “And it can happen so fast that people won’t have time to get away.”

Recent rain has formed a gully behind the hillside, and the water in the gully is seeping through the hill.

The slope, which moved about 5 feet between Wednesday and Friday evening, was still creeping downward Saturday, said Sandra Esquivel, whose house is at the bottom of the hill.

Esquivel, her husband and their two daughters have been staying with relatives since the rain began Wednesday.

Saturday morning she visited her home to check on the hill and pack up clothing.

“We’re really scared because we don’t know what is going to happen,” Esquivel said. “We will not return to stay here until it stops raining.”

Esquivel told fire officials Saturday that the hill “had definitely shifted” since Friday night, although she could not say exactly how much, and that chunks of debris and mud had fallen.

But Esquivel’s neighbor, Kathy Nettles, said she was not worried.

“We haven’t seen anything new and we plan to stay here today,” said Nettles, adding that the hill moved about 22 feet during storms last year.

In La Conchita, a hillside community north of Ventura, some residents used hoses to flush water out of a drainage ditch and into the streets, where it could run to the ocean.

“We hope that nothing will happen, but we are keeping our eyes open and we are very concerned, particularly if it continues to rain,” said Mary Cox, who has lived in La Conchita for three years.

Hundreds of residents were evacuated from the coastal community last March when an estimated 600,000 tons of mud crushed several homes.

Ventura County Sheriff’s Department workers flew over La Conchita on Saturday, making sure the shaky hills did not present a danger to residents.

“Everything seemed very stable,” said Sheriff’s Lt. Michael Regan. “We will continue to monitor the area until the weather has cleared.”

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County Rainfall

Here are rainfall figures from the Ventura County Flood Control Department for the 24-hour period ending at 6 p.m. Saturday. Oct. 1 is the beginning of the official rain year.

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Rainfall Rainfall Normal rainfall Location last 24 hours since Oct. 1 to date Camarillo 0.35 4.70 7.54 Casitas Dam 0.47 7.49 12.97 Casitas Rec. Center 0.55 7.77 12.87 Fillmore 0.24 5.06 10.52 Matilija Dam 0.51 8.52 14.53 Moorpark 0.28 4.99 8.16 Upper Ojai 0.31 5.95 12.42 Oxnard 0.39 4.56 7.98 Piru 0.16 4.66 9.49 Port Hueneme 0.67 3.92 7.85 Santa Paula 0.28 4.86 9.71 Simi Valley 0.24 4.62 7.82 Thousand Oaks 0.31 5.61 8.42 Ventura Govt. Center 0.47 5.77 8.83

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