Storms bring record rainfall, flooding to SoCal. When will the rains finally end?

Southern California’s stormy week is set to wind down Friday after two storm systems that brought tornado warnings, heavy flooding and at-times historic rainfall rates, especially in parts of Ventura County.

At least 60 homes were red-tagged in Ventura County as a result of flooding, which hit Oxnard and Port Hueneme hard.

For the most part, the bulk of the rain seems to be past. Joe Sirard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said rain was expected to continue in moderate amounts Friday with a slight chance of thunderstorms across L.A. County.

“The precipitation should taper off rather quickly, and by late Friday night it should be dry through the weekend,” Sirard said.

The areas hardest-hit by the dual storm systems that began Sunday were eastern Ventura County — which recorded more than four inches of rain since Sunday, culminating with Thursday’s deluge that caused extensive flooding and misery for residents.

Annika Hernandez of Port Hueneme was among those evacuated in the city on Thursday amid flooding. She, husband Albert and their children, Adam, 13, and Kiara, 11, lay on cots in the shelter set up at Oxnard College.

“Last night when the rain started hitting really hard, about 1 a.m.,” said Hernandez, “it kept me up — because you could tell that it was not a normal amount of rainfall.”

Preliminary data from Thursday suggested that Oxnard experienced one of the heaviest downpours ever seen in the area, with rainfall rates of 3 inches an hour sustained for over an hour. That amounts to a month’s worth of rain in less than 60 minutes, officials said. Tornado warnings were also briefly issued for parts of the county on Thursday.

In the 55-plus community of Hueneme Bay on Thursday evening, a line of dirt and debris could be seen against the sides of buildings and cars, evidence of the height of the floodwaters, which had since receded. Garage doors were bowed inward, and trash and debris lined the streets.

The neighborhood was evacuated, but residents were allowed to return around around 4 p.m.

Inside Holly Donohue’s home, the floors and carpets were soaked.

“I woke up and I really couldn’t believe that we had that much water in the house,” the 70-year-old said. She pointed to a spot about two feet off the ground where the water had flooded her patio.

She said she was unsure if her cars would run, as they had both been sitting in feet of water.

Donohue and the home’s other occupants were stuck inside Thursday for a time as they waited for the water to recede. Opening the front door would have meant letting more water into the home.

The Ventura County Fire Department had asked Donohue if she wanted to be evacuated, but she declined.

“As long as we have power,” she said.

Sirard, the National Weather Service meteorologist, said this week’s storm forecasts underestimated rainfall for the region’s coasts and valleys, while it overestimated amounts in the foothills and mountains.

In Los Angeles County, as of 5 p.m. Thursday, the National Weather Service’s five-day rainfall totals for Los Angeles proper ranged between one and four inches, with the highest amounts recorded in the San Fernando Valley, including 4.46 inches in Porter Ranch, 4 inches in Northridge and 3.64 inches in Van Nuys.

In Santa Barbara County, the highest rainfall amounts were recorded in the Santa Ynez Valley and the county’s southern coast, with many locations recording over six inches of rain. The Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management reported several roads flooded during Thursday’s deluge.

Eastern Ventura County also recorded over four inches of rain in most parts. Matilija Canyon, in the mountains north of Ojai, recorded a whopping 10.34 inches of rain during the storm system.

Southern California’s stormy week is set to wind down Friday after two storm systems that brought tornado warnings, heavy flooding and at-times historic rainfall rates, especially in parts of Ventura County.

At least 60 homes were red-tagged in Ventura County as a result of flooding, which hit Oxnard and Port Hueneme hard.

For the most part, the bulk of the rain seems to be past. Joe Sirard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said rain was expected to continue in moderate amounts Friday with a slight chance of thunderstorms across L.A. County.

“The precipitation should taper off rather quickly, and by late Friday night it should be dry through the weekend,” Sirard said.

The areas hardest-hit by the dual storm systems that began Sunday were eastern Ventura County — which recorded more than four inches of rain since Sunday, culminating with Thursday’s deluge that caused extensive flooding and misery for residents.

Annika Hernandez of Port Hueneme was among those evacuated in the city on Thursday amid flooding. She, husband Albert and their children, Adam, 13, and Kiara, 11, lay on cots in the shelter set up at Oxnard College.

“Last night when the rain started hitting really hard, about 1 a.m.,” said Hernandez, “it kept me up — because you could tell that it was not a normal amount of rainfall.”

Preliminary data from Thursday suggested that Oxnard experienced one of the heaviest downpours ever seen in the area, with rainfall rates of 3 inches an hour sustained for over an hour. That amounts to a month’s worth of rain in less than 60 minutes, officials said. Tornado warnings were also briefly issued for parts of the county on Thursday.

In the 55-plus community of Hueneme Bay on Thursday evening, a line of dirt and debris could be seen against the sides of buildings and cars, evidence of the height of the floodwaters, which had since receded. Garage doors were bowed inward, and trash and debris lined the streets.

The neighborhood was evacuated, but residents were allowed to return around around 4 p.m.

Inside Holly Donohue’s home, the floors and carpets were soaked.

“I woke up and I really couldn’t believe that we had that much water in the house,” the 70-year-old said. She pointed to a spot about two feet off the ground where the water had flooded her patio.

She said she was unsure if her cars would run, as they had both been sitting in feet of water.

Donohue and the home’s other occupants were stuck inside Thursday for a time as they waited for the water to recede. Opening the front door would have meant letting more water into the home.

The Ventura County Fire Department had asked Donohue if she wanted to be evacuated, but she declined.

“As long as we have power,” she said.

Sirard, the National Weather Service meteorologist, said this week’s storm forecasts underestimated rainfall for the region’s coasts and valleys, while it overestimated amounts in the foothills and mountains.

In Los Angeles County, as of 5 p.m. Thursday, the National Weather Service’s five-day rainfall totals for Los Angeles proper ranged between one and four inches, with the highest amounts recorded in the San Fernando Valley, including 4.46 inches in Porter Ranch, 4 inches in Northridge and 3.64 inches in Van Nuys.

In Santa Barbara County, the highest rainfall amounts were recorded in the Santa Ynez Valley and the county’s southern coast, with many locations recording over six inches of rain. The Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management reported several roads flooded during Thursday’s deluge.

Eastern Ventura County also recorded over four inches of rain in most parts. Matilija Canyon, in the mountains north of Ojai, recorded a whopping 10.34 inches of rain during the storm system.