Ventura County has experienced multiple flood events throughout the years and some of the most destructive events in recent times occurred in 1969, 1978, 1980, 1983, 1992, 1995, 1998 and 2005. The devastating reality of flooding can lead to lost lives, major disruptions in daily activities and millions of dollars in damages. The image on the left is of flooding in Haines Barranca by the city of Santa Paula in 2005. Check out the link below to learn more about some of the major flooding events within Ventura County over the years.

Resources: Ventura County Flooding History

2020 was the driest water year on record for Ventura County prompting red flag fire warnings and water shortages and yet the risk of flooding is still present – how? New climate data reveal increased weather variability leading to more drastic swings between extreme drought, fire and flood for Ventura County. Regardless of weather predictions like El Niño or La Niña, a single atmospheric river event can bring intense precipitation and damaging floodwater or mudflows. With that in mind, the best time to prepare for a flood is now.

1.DWR Climate Change Basics
2.DWR Atmospheric Rivers
3.FEMA Floodsmart

Public Works helps keep you safe by being prepared not only for disasters but at home too! Here is a light-hearted reminder of how to be prepared for natural disasters, and we give you links to help make your family safer today.

Here are the 3 simple clicks to help keep your family safe:
1. Stay Informed
2. Have an Emergency Plan
3. Have Emergency Kits

Watershed Protection staff members go into the field to maintain equipment which is used to monitor rainfall, stream flow, lake levels and other meteorological information in real time. The video will show staff using hydrology equipment during a rain event.

Resources: Flood Preparedness Coloring Book English |  Spanish

Public Works helps keep you safe by being prepared not only for disasters but at home too! Here is a light-hearted reminder of how to be prepared for possible flooding in Ventura County, and we give you links to help make your family safer today.

Here are the 3 simple clicks to help keep your family safe:
1. Stay Informed
2. Have an Emergency Plan
3. Have Emergency Kits

What is an atmospheric river and how does it influence weather in Ventura? Atmospheric rivers are narrow bands of highly concentrated moisture that are critical to the water supply in California, but can cause flooding from the intense, concentrated precipitation they bring.

Resources: Atmospheric River Forecasting

Ventura County enjoys a Mediterranean climate with warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters, but it’s not without hazard risks. We cannot control when and where disasters will strike, but we can save lives and reduce property damage by better understanding hazard risk and by taking action to mitigate those risks proactively. This video provides information about the effort Ventura County is undertaken to update the county-wide multi-hazard mitigation plan.

Resources:  Ready Ventura County

A new technology that is hitting the pavement is Pervious concrete! It contains void spaces to let stormwater through for subsurface infiltration when it rains. Think about it, if rainwater flows quickly through the storm drains and channels it out to the ocean, we will not have a chance to use it before it becomes just as salty as the ocean. Stormwater staff are here to tell you more about Stormwater Pollution Prevention and how you can help to save our water.

Resources: Clean Watershed Coloring Book  |  Pollutant Disposal Worksheet  | Water Resources Activities

In 2019, Public Works staff went back to school at the Rio Del Sol STEAM Academy to teach Mr. Ricky Koga’s second graders about the importance of the water cycle and watershed stewardship. The Academy is located adjacent to the Santa Clara River Levee and the students learned about how the levee protects parts of Oxnard from flooding.