Public works crews in Ventura County are busy dealing with a major series of disasters, including an earthquake, and storm debris flows. But, these are disasters that didn’t really happen. With the Thomas Fire burning more than 280,000 acres of land, and setting the stage for more flooding and debris flows like what happened in Montecito in January, crews are trying to get ready.
Ventura County Public Works Agency Director Jeff Pratt says Thursday was a day of “what if” drills to test preparedness. As part of this drill, some needed work is actually taking place.
What looks like a scaled down bulldozer is clearing mud from a creek bed under a bridge on Central Avenue, west of Camarillo. It’s called a skid steer, and it’s a robot controlled by a man standing on the creeks bank with what looks like a video game controller. The gear allows crews to clear debris from areas too dangerous for manned equipment, as well as under bridges too low for conventional bulldozers.
Public safety officials on the South Coast are concerned that with the huge area burned bare by the Thomas Fire, we could see more problems like we had in Montecito.
Pratt says you can’t stop major flooding or debris flows, but you can evacuate people. He says as we move into the rainy season, it’s going to be vital that people be alert for potential evacuation orders. While the memories of the Thomas fire, and flooding are starting to fade, the burn scars mean we could be facing concern about debris flows for the next few years.
