Flooding, Levee Failure Seen as Possible Consequence of El Niño Storms in Ventura County

But for officials in Ventura County, the prospect of an extraordinarily wet El Niño winter means need to prepare and drill for a sudden transformation from running dry to overflowing.

 

"We have to be concerned, and that's why we're translating that concern into preparation," said Mike Powers, Ventura County CEO.

 

The county's Emergency Operations Center in the city of Ventura took charge of managing and directing the response to the exercise as it will for the real thing.

 

One of the key elements to be put to the test is a new data management system for tracking and processing multiple emergency reports during a natural disaster or other widespread crisis, Powers said.

 

In the field, a public works crew on patrol in the agricultural community of Somis came across the blocked culvert scenario, and deployed an excavator to clear it.

 

Officials acknowledged strong storms could bring far worse situations, including the failure of a levee that is adjacent to major recent development in the city of Oxnard.

 

Southern California has often received far greater than normal winter rainfall during past occurrences of the so-called El Niño phenomenon, marked by warming tropical waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean offshore from the Americas.

 

The chance of El Nino continuing through winter--when the impact is felt most--is 95 percent, according to the Climate Prediction Center.

 

Heavy rain winters--including one in 2004-05 that was not linked to El Niño--have taken a toll on the county.

 

After a series of strong storms in January 2005, a massive mudslide buried a portion of the community of La Conchita, claiming 10 lives.  At its mouth, the Ventura River crested over its banks, partially flooding the Ventura Beach RV resort, and closing the 101 Freeway where it crosses the river.

 

The RV resort had suffered even worse flooding a decade earlier during the El Niño winters of 1995 and 1992, when some parked vehicles were literally carried out to sea.

 

During winters since those episodes, resort management has kept vehicles farther from the river, and before forecasted major storms, moved its guests to the county fairgrounds, said TJ Staben, whose family owns the resort.

 

A major public safety concern remains the homeless who for decades have set up encampments amid the riverbed foliage during dry times.

 

In 1992, some of the unpermitted campers were caught up in the sudden flooding, and though several were rescued, one man died. The riverbed was made off limits, but keeping people out has been a continuing challenge.

 

In anticipation of this El Niño winter, county agencies have already begun clearing out encampments and relocating the homeless to temporary shelter, said Jeff Pratt, director of Ventura County Public Works.

 

Another concern he cited is the aging earthen levee that keeps the Santa Clara River from the Oxnard flood plain.

 

Portions of the levee have failed during three previous winter storms, Pratt said.

 

In the years since, the major planned community River Park and the Collection shopping mall have been developed in Oxnard not far from the levee.

 

Pratt said significant repairs and reinforcements have been made over the years and as recently as this summer, but ultimately the levee will have to be rebuilt at an estimated cost of as much as $50 million, for which funding is yet to be arranged.  The county is hoping for help from the Army Corps of Engineers, the builder of the original levee prior to World War II.

 

Resident JP Latham, who moved to California and settled in Oxnard three years ago, said he had taken note of the levee work a month ago and is not concerned about flood risk, but then added: "I might change my mind in an instant if the river rises quickly."

 

The Public Works director said officials will keep a close watch on the levee, and have a number of evacuation routes ready to be used if needs be. 

 

"If it fails, we'll just start getting people out of the way," Pratt said.