Santa Paula gets a drenching with latest storm, more rain Friday
February 10, 2017
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
The latest storm continued to keep Ventura County damp with periods of outright wetness earlier in the week, a lot of outright wetness.
According to spweather.net, located near the Santa Clara River, 2.04 inches of rain has fallen on the area since a storm moved in on the tail-end of the weekend and left the county soaked through Monday.
The downpour when added to the rain year to date is 11.04 inches. The rain starts October 1.
The Ventura County Watershed Protection District, which averages several gauges throughout the Santa Paula area, reported the storm brought 2.27 inches of rain since Sunday. The total rain year to date is 15.22 inches, 153.4 percent of normal, 9.99 inches. Last year rain to date was only 5.86 inches.
Santa Paula’s pre-drought annual rainfall averages 18.63 inches.
Above average rainfall amounts have been experienced throughout Southern California.
Santa Paula handled the storm well and without incident; Monday there were several minor traffic accidents reported countywide due to the storm as well as road closures and rockslides.
Santa Paula Police Chief Steve McLean said motorists must remember that it is required by law to use headlights while driving in the rain, and drivers should be extra cautious about following the vehicle in front of them too close and braking.
According to the National Weather Service forecast, more rain is expected to arrive on Friday, though rainfall estimates vary at this time, followed by a dry weekend.
The Ventura County Watershed Protection District shows that in the past five days ending Wednesday at 8 a.m. Casitas Station reported the most rain in the county with 3.29 inches. The area with the highest year to day for rain was Oxnard with 187.5 percent, 14.89 inches. Oxnard’s usual rain to date is 7.9 inches.
