Business, En español, Government, Health, Home, Local, News, Public Safety, Seniors, Women, Youth

Bilingual report — County of Ventura — Important Extreme Weather Updates and Resources – Jan. 21, 2025

by Community Contributor • January 23, 2025 • Comments Off

En español | View as Webpage

County of Ventura

Extreme Weather

Updates & Resources

January 21, 2025

Thank you for staying up-to-date on news at the County of Ventura! Want to sign up for our newsletter?

Community members who are not already subscribed may sign up to receive our newsletter in English here and in Spanish here.

Dear Ventura County Residents,

We recognize the challenges that come with facing yet another period of Red Flag conditions and Public Safety Power Shutoffs.

We know these weather conditions and power shutoffs disrupt routines, create uncertainty, and make it difficult to meet essential needs. Please know that we stand with you during this time, and we are here to provide support and resources to help you navigate these challenges.

We are committed to keeping you informed of resources that keep you prepared and provide support as we navigate this challenge together.

Your patience and resilience are deeply appreciated as we work together to navigate these conditions and keep our community safe.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we face these challenges together.

Extended Red Flag Warning Issued from NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning that is likely to extend until Thursday, January 23.

These conditions bring with it extreme fire weather and damaging winds that can cause additional hazards. Residents are encouraged to be cautions of downed trees, power lines and hazards for large vehicles such as motorhomes and trailers.

Residents are also encouraged to exercise caution while driving in these conditions and plan for travel delays due to debris on roadways.

MORE INFORMATION

Ventura County Fire Department Prepared for Extreme Weather

The Ventura County Fire Department works hard to ensure that our community is safe during extreme weather events.

VCFD is upstaffing by approximately 100 firefighters in addition to staff already on-duty in preparation for the current Red Flag conditions.

Aside from the additional staff on hand, VCFD has pre-positioned engine strike teams, additional hand crews, water tenders, and helicopter resources from the Ventura County Aviation Unit that are available to respond should a brush fire occur.

Residents are encouraged to continue to take the following steps when we have extreme weather conditions in our area:

LEARN the best ways to prepare at readyventuracounty.org

VISIT VCEmergency.com in the event of a brush fire for evacuation updates and incident information.

Free Food Distributions Available Through Food Share of Ventura County

Have you experienced food spoilage due to the PSPS events? Looking for some additional support with replacing those food items?

Food Share of Ventura Countycontinues to support the community with food distributions through a network of 190 partners throughout the county. These food pantry partners provide fresh produce and shelf-stable items to residents seeking food.

Find an upcoming food distribution event near you at the link below.

FIND HELP

Southern California Edison Resource Centers for PSPS

During Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events, Southern California Edison uses Community Resource Centers and Community Crew Vehicles to support customers in areas most likely to experience shutoffs. CRCs support customers during PSPS and other large public safety activations.

Services include:

Information, light snacks, and resiliency kits.
Charging stations for mobile devices and portable medical equipment.
In-language support and accommodations for customers with disabilities or other access and functional needs.

SCE has contracted with dozens of sites in high fire risk areas to serve as resource centers during PSPS events.

Find a list of all contracted sites here or by clicking the button below.

LIST OF CENTERS

Critical Care Backup Battery Program from Southern California Edison

Southern California Edison provides support to households that require the use of electrically powered medical devices in order to be prepared for power outages. Their Critical Care Backup Battery program offers free portable backup batteries that can power medical devices during a power outage. In addition, these portable batteries are portable are intended to support residents who need them should they experience the need to evacuate from their home.

Residents who reside in high fire risk areas, are currently enrolled in Southern California Edison’s Medical Baseline Allowance program, and who require the regular use of electrically powered medical equipment or another qualifying medical device, are eligible for the Critical Care Backup Battery program.

For more information, please call: 1-800-736-4777.

LEARN MORE

Stay Safe on the Roads During a Power Outage!

Power outages can disrupt traffic signals, creating potential hazards on our roadways.

Here’s what to do:

Treat all intersections with non-working traffic lights as 4-Way Stops.
Come to a complete stop and take turns proceeding in the order you arrived.
Drive with extra caution and patience.

Let’s look out for one another and keep our community safe!

Prepare & Sign Up for VC Alert!

It’s important that residents across Ventura County are registered for VC Alert in order to receive timely emergency notifications during an incident.

These messages come from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services and may include, but are not limited to evacuation warnings or orders, severe weather advisories, community policing incidents, searches for missing at-risk individuals and public health alerts.

VC Alerts can only be sent to locations within Ventura County and you’ll only be notified if the address you register is in an area that is directly affected by an incident. To receive alerts by phone, text, email, fax, TTY/TDD device, or numeric page for your home, work or loved one’s location, register by one of the methods below:

Online: www.vcalert.org

Email: vc.alert@ventura.org

Phone: 805-648-9283

Stay Up=to-Date on Emergency Information on VC Emergency

We encourage all residents to stay connected to vcemergency.com as the web resource for all information disaster response related.

Important information regarding the current Red Flag Warnings and status of Southern California Edison’s PSPS events are available there.

VISIT VCEMERGENCY.COM

Follow County of Ventura Social Media

Stay informed and stay connected! Follow the County of Ventura on social media to receive important updates and information in real-time.

We work closely with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and Ventura County Fire Department to share critical alerts before, during, and after an emergency related event.

Be prepared, stay safe, and never miss an update—follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X — today!