Pacific Storm Dumps Heavy Rains, Unleashes Flooding in California Coastal Cities

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.—A Pacific storm pounded parts of Southern California on Thursday with heavy rain and street flooding, adding to hassles as holiday travel got underway. The downpours targeted coastal Ventura and Santa Barbara counties northwest of Los Angeles County, swamping areas in the cities of Port Hueneme, Oxnard and Santa Barbara. Rainfall rates exceeding 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) an hour unleashed flash flooding in Ventura County, the National Weather Service said. Later in the morning, streets began filling with water in parts of Santa Barbara as the storm delivered another deluge. Sven Dybdahl, owner of olive oil and vinegar store Viva Oliva in downtown Santa Barbara, said he had trouble finding dry routes to work Thursday morning, but most of the heavy rains and flooding had receded shortly before 11 a.m. He said he was grateful that the weather is only expected to be an issue for a few days at the tail end of the holiday shopping season, otherwise he’d be worried about how the rains would affect his store’s bottom line....