Water Education Foundation
This is just one post in the Southern California Category
Click here to view all posts

USGS: CA storms dropped less rain than expected

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 28, 2010 at 7:50 am

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

“Southern California foothill communities escaped potentially disastrous debris flows from fire-scarred mountains during last week’s storms because total rainfall was far less than expected, the U.S. Geological Survey said Wednesday.

Areas burned by a 250-square-mile summer wildfire in the San Gabriel Mountains received totals of 4 1/2 inches to 8 1/2 inches of rain — significantly less than the forecast of up to 16 inches, the USGS said.

More than 2,000 homes in foothill communities northeast of Los Angeles were ordered evacuated during the storms, but many people did not comply, and there were complaints that evacuations were unnecessary.

USGS geologist Susan Cannon, who studies debris flows that follow wildfires in the West, said there likely would have been property damage or life-threatening situations if the area had gotten the rain that was forecast. … “

Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle by clicking here.

January 28, 2010 · Filed Under Southern California

Comments

One Response to “USGS: CA storms dropped less rain than expected”

  1. Disaster denied | Chance of Rain on January 28th, 2010 9:49 am

    [...] Click here to keep reading the AP report in the San Francisco Chronicle about how Southern Californian foothill communities were lucky during the last rain, but how they are far from immune to deadly mudslides as the rainy season continues. Via Aquafornia. [...]

Leave a Reply