County Gets Brief Reprieve, but Winds Expected to Return

The weekend’s winds eased off Monday, but their effects were still evident as rescue crews salvaged a sunken vessel in Oxnard and other crews tried to restore power to customers between Moorpark and Fillmore.

Now, a battered county will batten down once again. The National Weather Service reports that gusts of up to 60 mph are expected tonight and Wednesday.

On Monday afternoon, Southern California Edison crews were working to bring electricity back to customers along Grimes Canyon Road north of Moorpark. Spokesman Steve Hansen did not know how many people were affected, but said they have been without power since 3:30 a.m. Sunday when high winds knocked over seven power poles.

“I think it’s safe to say they’re not very happy,” Hansen said.

One lane of the road was closed to traffic for much of the day after the downed poles were discovered at 5:30 a.m., he said.

Power was expected to be back on for all customers in the area Monday night, he said.

High winds are also believed to have been a factor in the sinking of a 25-foot pleasure boat in Mandalay Bay.

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At 11:30 a.m. Monday, firefighters from Oxnard went to the 4500 block of Eastbourne Bay to assist the harbor patrol with a boat that was sinking.

“We went Code 3, and when we got there she was just lying there on the bottom,” said Oxnard Fire Capt. Jim Mullins. “Somebody said, ‘Hey, guys, it sank last night.’

“It was like responding to a fire that happened yesterday,” Mullins said.

The wooden cabin cruiser was tied off at the private dock sometime earlier this year, and the owner had not been seen in months, Mullins said.

A single dock line was still attached to the cruiser. “It was totally submerged, just the bow was sticking out of the water,” Mullins said.

The incident could have been worse, Mullins said. Had the line not been attached, the boat could have floated into another boat, damaging or sinking the other vessel, Mullins said.

He said that, due to the condition of the vessel, it would be difficult to come up with a damage assessment. “The salvage costs will probably exceed the value of the boat,” he said.

Tree limbs, leaves and pine needles left behind by the winds will be collected free of charge through Dec. 31 in Camarillo, by E.J. Harrison & Sons.

Spokeswoman Rebecca Guay said the debris will be picked up on regular yard-waste collection days.

Tree limbs must be no larger than 4 inches in diameter and cut into sections no longer than 4 feet. The pine needles and leaves must be placed in the tan yard-debris barrel, the green refuse containers or a customer-supplied can.

Palm, yucca and ice plant cannot be recycled. These items should be discarded in the green refuse containers.

Whole trees and large stumps are not part of the special service. Call the Camarillo Public Services Department at 388-5380 for more information.

A high-wind warning has been issued through Wednesday in Ventura County, according to National Weather Service specialist Stuart Seto in Oxnard.

The forecast for today calls for sustained winds out of the northeast from 15 to 25 mph, reaching speeds of 35 mph in the afternoon.

Santa Ana conditions are expected to kick in overnight, with winds blowing from 30 to 40 mph, and gusts up to 60 mph, Seto said. The same conditions are forecast for Wednesday.

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Temperatures in some areas of the county were expected to drop six degrees from Monday night to tonight, Seto said. Thousand Oaks was expected to have a low of 40 tonight, after a low of 47 Monday night, and Camarillo, forecast for a low of 48 on Monday night, was expected to drop to 43 tonight.

Ventura County will fare warmer than Santa Barbara County, where a frost warning was issued for Monday night and tonight.

“The winds are going to keep us from getting super, super cold,” Seto said.