COUNTY OFFICIALS GEAR UP FOR RAIN.

Byline: Deborah Sullivan Daily News Staff Writer

Ventura County agencies have been stockpiling sandbags, testing equipment and clearing debris in preparation for El Nino storms, officials said Tuesday.

The warming of tropical waters known as El Nino can wreak havoc on global weather, often dumping torrential rains on Southern California. This year the warming trend is even greater than the notorious 1983 El Nino season, which resulted in massive floods throughout the Southland, local meteorologist Terry Schaeffer told the county Board of Supervisors.

However, he stressed that while El Nino generally increases rainfall to the region, it does not automatically result in catastrophic floods.

``El Ninos are not linear,'' he said. ``Just because this is the strongest doesn't mean we'll get the most rainfall. It does not necessarily portend disaster.''

And even in the worst case floods, local agencies are better prepared this time around, said Art Goulet, public works director. Since 1983, local agencies have invested $86 million in improved equipment, systems and technology to ensure that storm waters can be kept in check, he said.

The flood control district has completed nearly all its annual clearing and maintenance work on debris basins and flood channels under its jurisdiction. The one remaining channel in the Ojai area not yet done will be cleared by a private contractor in the near future, Goulet said.

And the district has installed rain gauges and set up a flood-warning system that can feed data from the gauges and predictions by meteorologists into a computer model that can identify potential flood hot spots, he said.

The county Sheriff's and Fire departments are providing residents with information on where to purchase flood supplies, and are stockpiling sandbags to distribute if a flood occurs.

``During the actual emergency when the rain is coming and homes and businesses are being flooded, we want to make sandbags available,'' he said.

The Fire Department is also stocking away emergency caches of food and tools, setting up portable water tanks and storing a mile of 6-inch aluminum pipe to use for temporary water lines if existing ones are damaged in floods, said Chief Bob Roper of the Ventura County Fire Protection District.

The district and Red Cross are making arrangements for emergency care of people with serious medical problems, such as those who require oxygen or other life support equipment.

Tom Berg, director of the Resource Management Agency, said his building and safety, and environmental health inspectors are geared up to inspect the structural integrity of flood-damaged buildings or to deal with health hazards such as solid waste left behind by floods.

And county officials are working with state and federal agencies to streamline environmental requirements for emergency work.