A Ventura County Public Works Agency crew is repaving a section of a road in the Santa Clara River Valley. They are eliminating cracks that could seriously damage or even close the road if we get heavy El Niño rainfall.
"We're on South Mountain Road, just east of Santa Paula. We're doing some pavement repairs for the upcoming storm season," said Rodrigo Loera, who is a Public Works Superintendent with Ventura County. "The reason we are doing this is to seal some of the cracks in the failing road that's here. We're trying to prevent water intrusion going into the cracks, which can cause further damage."
"We routinely try to inspect roads that are in the unincorporated areas of the county as much as we can," said Rodrigo Loera, a public works superintendent for Ventura County.
Loera. Is El Niño adding urgency to what they do? "Yes and no. Routine maintenance helps to prevent some damage from storms. But it does give us a sense of urgency to get as much as we can done before these upcoming storms."
The county’s public works agency is normally gearing up for winter this time of year, but there’s additional thought going into the potential impacts of extreme weather.
"Public Works always prepares for storms, but this particular year we're really doubling up on that," said Martha Johnson, who is a Public Information officer with the Public Works Agency. "It's not just with roads and transportation, but it's with our watershed protection and our water and sanitation departments to make sure we are looking for areas that need repair and cleaning for whatever types of storms come this season."
Here on South Mountain Road, Anthony Aparacio is part of the Public Works team focused on getting the roadway ready for winter.
"I'm an equipment operator for the County of Ventura, and I take care of roads. I go to work on waterways, ditches, paving, and we're trying to be proactive before the rains come, if the rains come."
Once the rain starts, the Public Works teams will take on a different role. They are first responders just like firefighters and law enforcement officers. They’ll be out around the clock looking to take care of everything from downed trees to debris on roads.
"We look for any flooding issues, landslides, mudslides, rockslides, anything that prevents motorists from getting across the roadway. We try to get out there and clear them," said Loera.
The Ventura County Public Works Agency has put El Niño flood preparedness information on its web page. It includes everything from tips on preparing your property for heavy rain to how to report issues like a downed tree or flooding that’s occurring.
