A powerful storm has flooded roads across Ventura County and a brief tornado warning is in place, with more rain expected through Friday.
Neighborhoods in Oxnard and Ventura were hit hard overnight, with streets and intersections flooded. By Thursday morning, emergency workers were urging residents to stay indoors and off the roads as vehicles became stuck in standing water. The National Weather Service said The Oxnard Civic Center received over 3 inches of rain in an hourAnd more 1.54 inches of rain fell in 15 minutes at Ventura Auto Center.
The agency briefly issued a tornado warning for Port Hueneme, Oxnard, El Rio, Sadicoy and San Buenaventura just before 1:30 a.m. and again at 2:30 a.m., but there was no evidence of a tornado hit, according to the National Weather Service. Service. The agency issued several flash flood warnings as early as 4 a.m. Also further inland are special warnings for possible high water and high winds near Point Mugu.
Officials have advised people to be cautious. “Many streets and intersections are heavily affected by flooding. Stay off city streets for the next several hours until the water recedes. Standing water can cause vehicles to stall and become trapped,” the Oxnard Fire Department said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
According to Ventura County, flooding occurred in areas around the Hueneme Bay Club in the city of Port Hueneme, prompting some residents to should be expelled. Ventura County Sheriff’s Department said nearby residents The Hueneme Bay Club in Port Hueneme was ordered to evacuate their homesAnd residents of nearby neighborhoods were advised to be prepared to evacuate their homes if the situation did not improve.
There were no immediate reports of injuries.
forecast
The National Weather Service said there is a moderate risk of flooding, mostly in coastal Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties and the Santa Monica Mountains. There were also concerns about mountain ranges along the coast in Ventura and Santa Barbara.
Although this storm is very large, it is slow moving. It can also bring heavy rain, thunderstorms and flooding of roads and creeks.
The region experienced widespread but persistent rain on Wednesday.
Timing
Thursday: Heavy rain and thundershowers are likely in some areas.
Friday: Moderate rain.
Saturday: Light rain, moderate rain in some inland valleys, leading to partly cloudy skies and strong winds.
Sunday: Partly cloudy, leading to slightly warmer temperatures and sun.
Monday: (Christmas Day): Slightly warmer.
conditions
The weather service has issued a special marine weather warning for mid-coast areas Wednesday morning due to the possibility of flooding and strong winds. According to the forecast, conditions between Santa Barbara County and Point Conception in Los Angeles County have a small chance of producing a tornado or landfall.
A flood watch is in effect for most of Southern California. Residents of San Luis Obispo, Ventura, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties should be aware of debris, flash flooding, general flooding and overflowing rivers, the weather service said.
The Santa Ynez and Santa Monica coastal areas may experience isolated thunderstorms Wednesday and Thursday with rainfall rates of up to an inch per hour. Other areas could see 0.30 to 0.60 inches of rain per hour.
The storm could drop 2 to 5 inches in coastal areas and up to 12 inches in the coastal mountains.
Concerns
The storm is expected to bring flooding to much of the region through Thursday, according to the weather service, which warned drivers to avoid roads that may appear underwater.
“Heavy rains are likely to occur in the region at times and there is a possibility of widespread flooding,” he said The weather service said on its social media channels. “Flash & urban flooding is expected, and debris/mud flows are possible. Turn, don’t sink!”
