Ventura County Gets Ready For Coming Storm
VENTURA (CBSLA) - An area that has grown accustomed to flooding over the years is preparing for the worst once again.
This unfortunate reality for Ventura County residents has them well-versed in their prompt reaction to powerful storms, like the one looming over the Southland, expected to begin on Monday evening and run through Tuesday.
No evacuations have yet been ordered for the region, but surrounding areas have seen both mandatory and voluntary orders issued in their areas - especially those subjected to flooding, mudflow and debris flow from burn scars.
Ventura County could be among the first areas to get hit with the storm that has slowly been moving south since developing in Alaska and heading into Northern California on Sunday.
Residents and fire officials alike are doing their part to prepare for what the storm may bring. Oak Park resident Polly Grimm, who's backyard - and pool - were flooded with mud following a mudslide three years ago from the Woolsey Fire, learned from her past mistakes, "I'm crossing my fingers and doing anything I can to get ready. ... I put up a berm after the fire, but that didn't hold. My pool kept getting filled with mud, so I'm trying the next best thing."
This time around she had a retaining wall installed in her backyard.
Robert Welsbie, Ventura County Fire Chief, pointed to the preparedness of the fire department as everyone gets ready for the winter storm, "Anyone who lives in a foothill community should be wary of the storm," he said. "We have crews available that have expertise with heavy equipment - frontend loaders, bulldozers, dump trucks - things like that, in case we need to respond to any flooding or debris flow events here in the county."
He also recommended that homeowners take a look at their stormdrains and gutters, making sure that they're free of any debris that may restrict water flow.
Another Oak Park resident, Karen Stahlhuth, is also concerned with other pending complications the storm could bring, "I'm concerned about the trees. Many times they come down, they get blown over in big storms like this so we've had problems like that before."
Rain is expected to make landfall in Ventura County as soon as 7:00 p.m. on Monday evening.
The most recent flooding in Ventura County occurred in 2019, as a result of mudslides following the Woolsey Fire, that burned extensive amounts of vegetation - leading to erosion on surround hillsides that prompted rockslides, mudslides and roadside washouts.
The Camarillo Springs Fire in 2014 also prompted an emergency response, when mud, rocks, debris and high levels of water flowed down from the Santa Monica Mountains. This incident destroyed 10 homes, damaging 16 others.
