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The National Weather Service is predicting heavy rain with a chance of thunderstorms around the region today. Forecasters predict up to 2 inches of rain in low lying areas and up to 4 inches in mountains around the region. Coastal flood warnings, winter storm warnings, flash flood watches and high surf advisories remain in effect in Ventura County.
The storm is expected to be the most powerful so far this week, though not by much, said Bill Hoffer, a spokesman for the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
The rainfall is expected to intensify later this morning and remain heavy through tonight, Hoffer said. Rainfall rates could reach an inch an hour during thunderstorms today and between .5 and .75 inches otherwise.
Due to the unstable conditions, there is a chance of waterspouts and weak tornadoes around the region.
"The energy is there for them," Hoffer said.
Forecasters predict lighter showers Friday. The rain is expected to dry up after a few further showers Saturday morning.
Highway 33 was closed at La Luna Avenue in Meiners Oaks this morning due to rock and mudslides at Wheeler Gorge and Rose Valley, the California Highway Patrol reported. The closure was reported at 6:41 a.m.
The roadway was closed from Meiners Oaks through the Los Padres National Forest into Kern County, CHP officials said.
Authorities responded to numerous traffic collisions and some localized flooding overnight, but no major weather related problems were reported, said Bill Nash, a spokesman for the Ventura County Fire Department.
The roof of a Westlake Village building where water had accumulated partially collapsed, but no one was injured, Nash said. The business, Talent Lab/Dancesource at 2282 Townsgate Road, was evacuated due to the incident about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, officials said.
Four people in a disabled vehicle were towed to safety from a remote area of Highway 33 north of Lockwood Valley Road last night after they were located by Sheriff's deputies, said Capt. Stephen Wade of the Ventura County Sheriff's Department.
At least one of the pier's roughly 300 pylons broke Wednesday night, said Sgt. Jack Richards, a spokesman for the Ventura police. At least one other pylon broke earlier in the storm, and others were loose, Richards said.
The pier is expected to remain closed through the weekend.
A section of Poli Street in Ventura remained closed where a gaping 15-by-20-foot hole opened Wednesday when an underground storm drain collapsed. The section of Poli near Rincon Street is expected to be closed through at least Monday, Richards said.
A tree briefly blocked lanes of Highway 101 northbound just south of La Conchita this morning, the CHP reported.
The Ventura County Fire Department brought in more than two dozen extra firefighters to deal with potential weather-related problems today, Nash said. Those firefighters include two water rescue teams and staff for five utility vehicles that can carry sandbags.
As many as 70 hand crew members from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection are also available if they are needed in the county, Nash said.
As of this morning, the Ventura County Fire Department had responded to 64 flooding calls, 36 weather-related hazard investigations, two ocean rescues and one technical rescue since Monday, Nash said.
The Sheriff's Department is warning people who live below hillsides or in canyons around recently burned areas to be wary of possible landslides.
Authorities are also warning people to slow down when they are driving, be wary of moving water and stay off rocks and jetties along the coast.
Waves up to 20 feet are likely today, according to weather service forecasts.
As much as 20 inches of snow could accumulate through tonight in local mountains above 5,500 feet, where gusts up to 50 mph are also expected according to the weather service.
The combination of snow and strong wind could reduce visibility to near zero at times. Forecasters are discouraging people from traveling into the mountains and advising people who are planning to drive into mountainous areas to carry chains blankets and water.
As of 8 a.m., between .1 and .3 of an inch of rain had accumulated in many parts of the county over the last 12 hours, according to preliminary estimates from the Watershed protection district.
Old Man Mountain in the Los Padres National Forest was the soggiest place in the county, with an estimated 1.85 inches of rain over the last 12 hours. Simi Valley was among the driest places in the county, with just a few hundredths of an inch of rain reported overnight.
A total of .28 inch was reported at Ventura City Hall, .31 inch was reported in Silver Strand, .24 inch was reported at the Oxnard Civic Center, and .55 inch was reported in Matilija Canyon.
As of Wednesday morning, more than 3 inches of rain had already accumulated in most parts of the county this week, according to the Watershed Protection district.
The Matilija Dam was the wettest place in the county, with 4.95 inches of rain between the time the storms began and Wednesday morning. The Spanish Hills area of Camarillo was among the driest, with 2.28 inches.
