Splash and Flash

Thursday’s rainstorm was supposed to be in and out of here in a flash.

Flash it did.

Only it decided to stick around for a while, stalling when it made landfall and rumbling with lightning and thunder as it dumped up to half an inch of rain in an hour.

“This storm all of the sudden started packing some punch as it hit land,” said meteorologist Gary Ryan at the National Weather Service in Oxnard. “The system has really strengthened.”

Rare thunder and lightning boomed and streaked across parts of the Conejo Valley, knocking car alarms into their full glory and fraying the nerves of more than a few people.

Flooded surface streets and the usual rain-related bevy of fender benders ruled the morning commute countywide.

Beginning at 7 a.m., California Highway Patrol dispatchers fielded three dozen accident calls over a five-hour span.

“I couldn’t see 4 feet in front of me--the rain, the thunder and lightning was all through Westlake,” said Westlake Village resident Bill Cox, after he ran a business errand to Ventura at highway speeds that barely reached 35 mph.

Rain extended from northern Santa Barbara County to western Los Angeles, putting Ventura County in the middle of a morning-long downpour.

By midafternoon, Oxnard had received the most rain with 1.38 inches, according to Ventura County Flood Control District rain meters.

Thousand Oaks had 1.19 inches, Ventura 1.14 inches and Port Hueneme 1.06 inches.

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Simi Valley, Ojai, Santa Paula and Fillmore each received between three-quarters and one inch of rain.

The storm caught many commuters off guard, including those whose job it is to forecast the weather.

“Sometimes these things do stall off our coast, which this hummer did,” National Weather Service forecaster Bill Hoffer said. “It just stalled and intensified.”

An urban and small-stream flood advisory for interior and coastal Ventura County lasted through 4 p.m. Only minor flooding was reported.

Snow levels dropped from 6,000 feet to about 4,000 feet before the storm moved south in the late afternoon.

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County fire officials patrolled the hillside above La Conchita at hour intervals but reported no problems. A massive landslide swallowed nine homes in the northern Ventura County seaside hamlet following barrage of rainstorms in March 1995.

Even on sunny and warm winter days, county fire officials continue to monitor the hillside’s stability three times daily, department spokeswoman Sandi Wells said.

Meanwhile, most of the 35 vehicle crash reports the California Highway Patrol received on Thursday were routine fender benders and spin-outs with no serious injuries, CHP Officer Steve Reid said.

The storm’s northwest winds were expected to shift to the north and northeast late Thursday night, clearing the way for a sunny but windy day today.

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Northeast winds at 20 to 30 mph are forecast throughout today, with stronger gusts below passes and canyons.

The strong winds are expected to continue through Saturday, with clouds returning and temperatures dropping as the northeast winds tap into cold, polar air from the north, Hoffer said.

Low temperatures in the mid-30s to mid-40s are forecast for Saturday.

Sunday’s forecast is for a chance of showers, with windy weather expected to continue into the workweek.

And as to whether the Christmas holiday weather will be naughty or nice remains anyone’s best guess, Hoffer said.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Counry Rainfall

Here is the rainfal figures from the Ventura County Flood Control Department for the 24-hour period ending at 6 p.m. Thursday. 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 1.26 8.17 3.46 Casitas Dam 1.18 9.14 5.57 Casitas Rec. Center 0.91 10.36 5.82 Fillmore 0.91 9.94 4.95 Matilija Dam 0.79 10.56 6.01 Moorpark 1.02 8.25 3.61 Ojai 0.74 9.55 4.88 Upper Ojai 0.71 10.70 5.21 Oxnard 1.38 9.84 3.34 Piru 0.83 8.56 3.99 Port Hueneme 1.10 7.37 3.39 Santa Paula 0.75 8.88 4.42 Simi Valley 1.06 8.76 3.38 Thousand Oaks 1.23 8.13 3.62 Ventura Govt. Center 1.14 9.92 3.73

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