As another storm hits, a soggy Ventura County records its rainiest season in years

Cheri Carlson, Ventura County Star
·2 min read
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For the first time since 2006, water spilled from Lake Piru on March 16, 2023.
For the first time since 2006, water spilled from Lake Piru on March 16, 2023.

Ventura County is experiencing its rainiest season in years but hasn’t broken records – at least, not yet.

By Tuesday, much of the county’s rainfall stands around 180% of normal for this point in the water year, which runs from October through September. Ojai recorded nearly 37 inches — more than double its normal rainfall, according to preliminary figures from the Ventura County Watershed Protection District.

The 2005 season was the last time more rainfall was recorded for much of the county.

"We have a couple of slightly above normal years since then," said Scott Holder, a hydrologist with the county's watershed agency.

But this year stands out.

It is too soon to say how much rain could still fall.

The county is nearing the end of the rainy part of the year. But the forecast shows a chance of more wet weather still on the way.

"It's kind of like the Energizer Bunny," Holder said. "It keeps going and going and going."

He doesn't think Ventura County will end up with the wettest year on record in 2022-23 but said he wouldn't be surprised if a few spots crack the top five.

Here is how most cities stack up to the wettest year on record.

Conditions have flip-flopped from meager rainfall last year.

In September, the county wrapped up one more in a string of dry years that extended drought conditions and shrunk water supplies. That was on top of one of the county’s driest years on record in 2020-21.

Adding those two years together, some parts of the county saw less than even a normal year’s worth of rain, Holder said.

Over the past few months, runoff took a little while to seep into the ground as storm after storm drenched the county, he said. But the rivers started flowing and likely will stay that way for awhile.

Cheri Carlson covers the environment and county government for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at cheri.carlson@vcstar.com or 805-437-0260.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: How Ventura County's 2022-23 rainfall compares to record years