Arctic Storm Slams County, With More Rain in Forecast

A series of powerful winter storms pounded Ventura County on Sunday, bringing heavy rains and gusty winds, and prompting officials to post a flash flood watch in areas of Ojai.

The wet weather also contributed to a fatal collision on Highway 126 near Piru.

A storm front, originating in the Gulf of Alaska, is expected to continue its march through the area today, bringing cold temperatures, thunderstorms and large surf, with swells of 9 to 12 feet on west-facing beaches.

Forecasters said the showers could bring as much as 1 inch of rain per hour in Upper Ojai, the site of the 4,400-acre Ranch fire in December, which left the area vulnerable to mudslides. The storm is expected to drop 4 inches of rain in the mountains and 2 inches along the coast. Another storm is anticipated for Wednesday.

“I’m looking at a pretty good line of thunderstorms and showers,” said weather specialist Stuart Seto from the forecast room of the National Weather Service office in Oxnard.

Officials advised people living below the burn areas to remain alert for possible flooding from clogged streams and creeks. Residents should plan to evacuate immediately at the first sign of heavy water or mud flows, authorities said.

Heavy rainfall downed telephones lines in Upper Ojai Sunday night, prompting authorities to close two roads and post a swift-water rescue team at a local fire station.

Grand Avenue between McNell and McAndrew roads was closed, as well as the intersection of McNell and Reeves roads, where flooding was reported.

Low-lying areas could also see localized flooding from smaller streams, Seto said.

The arctic front, following on the heels of a milder series of Pacific storms last week, should bring noticeably colder temperatures, with nightly lows in the 40s and daily highs in the 60s, and increase the chance for hail. The colder air will also bring the snow level down to the 3,500-foot level, Seto said.

Winds are expected to be heavy at times today, gusting up to 30 mph but tapering off by late afternoon.

The county got a preview of the heavy winds and rain Sunday with a Pacific storm that dropped nearly an inch of rain during a five-hour period at the height of the storm Sunday morning.

The pounding rain contributed to several small mudslides throughout the county, including two on Pacific Coast Highway in southwestern Ventura County--one on Highway 150 near Lake Casitas, and one on Highway 33 north of Wheeler Gorge, according to dispatchers for the California Department of Transportation and the California Highway Patrol.

The first small slide occurred at about noon on Highway 150 two miles west of Santa Ana Road. The slide was cleaned up by Caltrans by afternoon.

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The first PCH slide occurred shortly before 2 p.m. on the westbound lanes south of Thornhill Broom Road. The second was reported about 20 minutes later near Sycamore Canyon Road.

“We’re watching it,” said a Malibu sheriff’s deputy. “If it continues raining, anything’s possible.”

There were no reports of injury or damage. Dozens of Caltrans crews were in the field early Sunday in preparation for the slides, and the department was expecting more slides throughout the evening.

“Normally, when we have rain like this we have crews out to clean it up right when it happens,” said a Caltrans dispatcher.

There were more than three dozen traffic incidents Sunday afternoon on Ventura County roadways, including a head-on collision near Piru that killed one person, according to the California Highway Patrol.

As of Sunday night, details were scarce regarding the crash, which occurred about 3:15 p.m. on California 126 about a mile east of Piru. Two vehicles, including a pickup truck, slammed head-on into one another, and the impact killed one of the drivers instantly, authorities said.

The driver’s name and age were not released pending notification of the next of kin.

An infant riding in one of the vehicles was transported by air to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital in Valencia, and a second person, who was described by authorities as seriously injured was taken to Santa Paula Memorial Hospital.

Rain and a slick roadway contributed to the crash, authorities said.

Several vehicles were involved in a chain-reaction collision about 4 p.m. on the Ventura Freeway south of Hampshire Road in Westlake Village. A driver who got out of a vehicle after the pileup was injured when struck by a passing car.

No further details of that crash were immediately available.

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Despite the heavy rainfall, the region is still behind normal seasonal figures, Seto said.

“We so far won’t even come close to making up for the lack of rain earlier this season,” he said.

The showers Sunday put a damper on festivities at the Ventura County Maritime Museum at Channel Islands Harbor, which is celebrating its ninth anniversary this weekend.

Only a scattering of people turned out for the celebration, which had included plans for whale watching and other marine activities.

Still, museum officials were pleased with attendance figures on Saturday, when nearly 1,000 people turned out under clear skies for arts and crafts projects, knot tying and tours aboard the Coast Guard ship Point Carrew.

But the rain could not keep some die-hard boat lovers away.

Lilo Nasse and Michael Ewing of Oxnard said they came to tour the 82-foot Coast Guard vessel.

“Normally, you don’t get to see a boat like this up close, only at a distance,” said Ewing, who added that he has sailed since he was a boy.

The public is still invited to the museum today for indoor activities, including whale drawing and wood carving and model ship building demonstrations. Also, the museum’s regular collection, including maritime art and more than 60 model ships, will be available for viewing.

“No other maritime museum on the West Coast can touch us in terms of our collection,” said museum operations manager David Leach.

Times staff writer Matt Surman and Times Community News writer Holly Wolcott contributed to this story.

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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. Sunday . 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 0.55 5.02 8.92 Casitas Dam 1.14 10.35 15.77 Casitas Rec. Center n/a n/a 15.85 Fillmore 0.63 6.38 12.76 Matilija Dam n/a n/a 18.02 Moorpark 0.71 5.52 9.72 Ojai 1.61 7.55 14.22 Upper Ojai n/a n/a 15.39 Oxnard n/a n/a 9.71 Piru n/a n/a 11.39 Port Hueneme 0.98 5.69 9.53 Santa Paula 0.98 6.53 11.92 Simi Valley 0.67 5.05 9.39 Thousand Oaks 1.50 5.23 10.15 Ventura Govt. Center 1.54 7.18 10.74

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