Annual Storm Day training focuses on flood protection

Even in drought years, severe floods happen, and preparation helps save property and human lives. The Ventura County Public Works Agency (VCPWA) annual Storm Day disaster simulation drill on Oct. 19 will focus on preparation for flooding. The Storm Day drill will take place in advance of VCPWA’s Flood Preparation Week, which is scheduled for Oct. 24-29.

The Storm Day exercise will simulate a storm taking place after a local brush fire, much like the flooding that occurred in Camarillo Springs or along Coast Highway north of the City of Ventura. Former burn areas are particularly susceptible to flash floods, and don’t require a large storm to cause significant damage, due to damaged vegetation that can’t absorb rainfall and reduce runoff.

“We are experiencing drought conditions now, but floods can also occur in dry years,” said Karl Novak, Deputy Director of the Watershed Protection District’s Operations and Maintenance Division. “Even a small storm with a few minutes of heavy rain could result in a devastating debris flow.”

In addition to the Storm Day drill, Flood Preparation Week will include an exhibit at the Ventura County Government Center. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services will lend its support, helping to assure effective coordination between the two agencies. The county Board of Supervisors also will issue a proclamation on Oct. 18.

The Storm Day exercise underscores the VCPWA’s role as first-responders. In floods, debris flows, fires, earthquakes, or any other emergency circumstances, VCPWA works alongside the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, the Ventura County Fire Department, and emergency medical personnel to sustain critical infrastructure and maintain public safety. The exercise is used to create severe but plausible scenarios to test agency emergency response.

The flood preparation exercise will simulate the intensity and flooding potential of a small storm in a concentrated area and its resulting debris flow. It will mobilize VCPWA to its emergency Field Operations Centers, Department Operations Centers, and Agency Operation Center throughout the county. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services will also activate the County’s Emergency Operations Center to support and coordinate with VCPWA. The exercise will help test improvements that have been made to the 200 miles of channels, basins and pump stations in the county designed to protect against floods, and point to possible areas of future upgrades and preparations.

The specific objectives of the exercise include testing the departments’ emergency response plans and processes, evaluating information and communication procedures, analyzing the efficiency of department, agency, and field operations centers, and testing the process and procedure to proclaim a local state of emergency. The drill will also help to identify any deficiencies there may be in the emergency response plans.

Local media will have the opportunity to observe a simulated in-field disaster response to unstable rock slides, rain-induced debris flow, or other emergency situations at a location and scenario to be determined.

Date: October 19th from 10:30 a.m. – Noon.

Travel to the incident site, photo ops, and interviews to selected media will be scheduled prior to the event.