The storm that pounded California Thursday and Friday brought a tornado to South Los Angeles and sent tons of rock into a Camarillo neighborhood but left Santa Paula relatively unscathed.
Locally, the windy storm left 342 households feeling powerless after an weather-caused electrical outage that in some areas lasted Friday from 1:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Southern California Edison customers elsewhere in the city also had brownouts and brief power interruptions.
Interim Public Works Director Brian Yanez said overall, the city weathered the storm.
“Our guys did a pretty good job of making sure the storm drains could handle it... I told them this morning they did a great job,” and although Yanez said, “We had one report of a tree down,” it was a branch that fell without doing damage.
A report of possible flooding turned out to be a minor incident.
According to SPFD PIO Andy VanSciver, “Engine 81 responded to the broken window at 1:40 a.m. Friday morning,” at the Richmond Mobile Home Park where a resident reported a window that was broken when it was shut.
The mishap occurred in the carport area and firefighters found no rain was entering the coach.
There was a run on emergency supplies: “Captain Gil Segovia at Station 81 provided about 10 tons of sand for the residents to build sandbags,” and VanSciver said an extra load of sand was ordered.
Residents are urged to be proactive and purchase sandbags locally, but VanSciver said, “Emergency materials are being provided to Santa Paula residents by the SPFD, along with sand to fill them, at no cost to residents,” at a workstation behind Fire Station 81 on Tenth Street.
Rain gauges throughout Santa Paula were close to the 2-inch mark but other areas showed a higher total rainfall from the storm that started late Thursday, pounded down water at its peak at about 2 a.m. and was all but gone by the time the sun came up Friday morning.
A call out to Facebook users for storm information brought a variety of responses.
Debra Cummings lives in the Briggs Road and Santa Paula Street area and said her household power was out from 1:30 a.m. but back up by 7 a.m.
“We had 1 3/4,” inches of rain,” said Cummings.
Residents of Hillview Estates reported 2 inches, but in the Oaks VanSciver said, “We received 1.89 inches of rain... “
Former Santa Paula resident Marilyn Harvey said, “I had two and a half inches,” at her East Ventura home near Wells Road.
Even farther away Patti Williams, also a former city resident, noted Friday mid-afternoon, “Wild winds from 2 a.m., very heavy rain and wind from 5 a.m. So far, 3.5 inches of rain, with more to come!” at her Oceanside home.
Kaye Ford, president of the Santa Paula Society of the Arts, lives on the West Side of Ventura, where, “My rain gauge said about 4.75 inches... “
Ali Sentes Fox, who lives on Santa Paula’s Peck and Foothill roads area reported power was out until almost 4 p.m. and Rosanna Jennett, owner of the Glen Tavern Inn, said, “Starbucks was packed with residents using the WiFi during the outage!”
Diane McKeen was without electricity at her Richard Road/Trent Lane area home, where she said, “Power out from around 1:30 a.m. until around 3:45 p.m. but we were glad to be up and running again, for sure!”
Mike Cossid, who lives at the top of 9th Street, said there was “no power problem,” at her home but they did record 2.5 inches of rain.
The rain wasn’t a problem for Sally Cook and “The wind blew, but not much to do any real damage... pretty good drainage here.”
Janice Dickenson though posted bread being toasted over an open fire, the only cooking method with the power out at her Fagan Canyon area home.
The burn area above a section of Camarillo Springs again gave way bringing tons of rock and larger boulders into the neighborhood destroying up to 10 homes, some with rock up to the roofline.
There were no injuries reported where residents had been on various orders of evacuation through the night.
Although those living in the gated senior community had hoped precautionary measures taken in the wake of the October 31 rain-caused mudslide might prevent another incident, Friday’s sudden rockslide knocked aside concrete barriers meant to channel any runoff.
Smaller amounts of rain are forecast for a storm coming through the area Monday to early Wednesday.
