Latest Storm Just a Drop in the Bucket

A Pacific storm sprinkled a tenth of an inch of rain across most of the county early Sunday--dampening roads but not putting a crimp in holiday weekend activities.

About three-tenths of an inch is expected by late this morning, tapering off to light showers in the afternoon.

Today’s highs should be in the low 60s and temperatures should drop to between 45 and 50 by tonight, according to the National Weather Service. More rain is expected Friday.

Under a light drizzle in Ventura, a few hundred surfers took to the waves at Surfers Point, and 50 youngsters competed in an all-day All-American Soap Box Derby, barreling in pairs down Hillmont Avenue as their families cheered them on.

Even a heavy downpour wouldn’t have stopped the derby, but it might have meant shortening the course to ensure safety, race director Pete Gallagher said.

“We have people here from as far away as Maine,” he said. “We can’t say, ‘Sorry, come back next weekend.’ ”

The race, held each February, is typically the largest Soap Box Derby gathering in Southern California, he said. It is popular because Hillmont Avenue has an ideal slope for the racers to get the best performances out of their their homemade plastic vehicles. The route is next to a large parking area, and because Ventura County Medical Center is at the end of the course, the city waives a requirement that the association keep medical personnel on call, Gallagher said.

“We operate on a shoestring, and to have an ambulance on site, we wouldn’t be able to hold the race,” he said.

Instead of the weather, the biggest concern of the racers was trying to stay in the center of their lanes, where the asphalt was smoothest, while they whipped down Hillmont at about 30 mph.

Rob McKeown winced as he watched his daughter, Kimberly, 10, veer slightly off course and finish a split second behind her opponent.

“She got in the rough pavement and that slowed her down,” he said.

The inclement weather didn’t deter golfers or shoppers. At Simi Hills Golf Course, Burt Bril, an assistant in the pro shop, said it rained about five minutes midmorning, hardly enough to take notice.

“The course is full, everybody’s out here playing,” he said.

At The Oaks mall in Thousand Oaks, officials reported crowds were a typical size for a Sunday afternoon.

The California Highway Patrol said there were no rain-related accidents after the rain began about 8 p.m. Saturday.

However, a Port Hueneme woman who was driving north on the Ventura Freeway at Las Posas Road about 2:40 a.m. Sunday apparently lost control of the car and it ended up in the center lane on the southbound side of the freeway.

Tymesha Welch, 24, who was traveling alone, suffered head trauma and was admitted to Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, the CHP said. She was listed in serious condition Sunday.

The roadway was wet at the time, CHP officials said, but the accident does not appear to be rain-related. CHP dispatcher Bob Inman said the accident is under investigation and it is not known whether drugs or alcohol were a factor.

Rose Valley received the most rain over the weekend, a third of an inch, and the mountains should receive the same amount in today’s storm, National Weather Service officials said.

Today’s rain is expected to begin falling between 10 a.m. and noon, forecasters said. CHP officials caution drivers to be careful.

“Any time it’s raining, just slow down and everybody will be much safer,” CHP dispatcher Claude Ball said.