SCRV Town Hall: Fillmore meeting
to address weathering El Nino impacts

November 11, 2015
Santa Paula News

It’s going to be a Town Hall Meeting like no other and residents of the Santa Clara River Valley are being urged to attend the November 17 session to learn everything they ever wanted to know about the upcoming El Niño.

But you won’t be afraid to ask about El Niño at the Town Hall Meeting held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Building, 511 Second St., Fillmore. 

Experts from a variety of public agencies will address the projected El Nino weather event and plans the agencies have to deal with it.

On hand will be representatives of the National Weather Service, Ventura County Fire, Fillmore City Fire, Ventura County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services, Ventura County Watershed Protection District, Red Cross and Ventura County Animal Services. 

The collaborative Town Hall meetings have already been staged in other areas bringing out hundreds of concerned citizens, far more than initially was expected.

According to Santa Paula Fire Assistant Chief Dustin Lazenby the meeting “Generally will be offering safety tips to residents and identifying problems that existed in previous years when the county experienced heavy rain and winter weather.”

The county has prepared maps showing areas that could be prone to debris flows and/or flooding and hopes to “Give everybody information so they can be prepared…we really want to urge people to attend, there will be a lot of useful information there,” about the potential impacts of the El Nino storm event as well as how to prepare for and react to severe weather.

At the November 3 Ventura County Board of Supervisors meeting Kevin McGowan, manager of the Office of Emergency Services addressed El Nino preparedness.

Various “hotspots” have been identified throughout Ventura County including areas in the Santa Clara River Valley that would be prone to damaging slides, runoff and flooding. Santa Paula Creek remains of particular concern.

At the very least said McGowan residents should stay informed by signing up to receive emergency notifications from VC Alert and weather notifications from the National Weather Service. 

“Develop a communications plan for you and your family,” said McGowan, so, “you’ll know where to go if you need to evacuate.”

A preparedness kit with essential supplies should be at home, the office and in the car. 

McGowan said property should also be checked to ensure pre-rain maintenance has been completed such as clearing drains and rain gutters.

Check with your insurance provider to ensure your property has adequate coverage to include flood insurance if needed, a move that McGowan said should be taken as soon as possible to allow the mandated wait period before the policy is activated.

For more information visit: http://www.vcsd.org/oes.php

There are various links on the page to Ready Ventura County (http://readyventuracounty.org/) where you can link to a special section on El Nino preparedness. There is also a link to sign up for VC Alert and National Weather Service announcements.





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