Heavy rain hits parts of Southern California, causing flooding, evacuations, and the closure of local facilities.
The storm system follows bouts of rain in recent months, with this February being the fourth wettest in Los Angeles since 1877. These heavy rains have benefitted the state’s water supply and agricultural industry but have also resulted in natural disasters and disruption of daily life.
The storm system hitting California is called an atmospheric river, a phenomenon in which winds channel southern moisture and bring it up to the West Coast. This is partially caused by El Niño, a climate pattern characterized by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Oceans. This leads to changes in atmospheric circulation and weather patterns worldwide. Atmospheric rivers are a particular type of storm system due to the large amount of moisture they can hold.
“The soil is so saturated from the previous storm that this rain has nowhere to go,” said meteorologist Rich Thompson in a statement to the New York Times.
The storm also swept into parts of the Bay Area and Central Valley. Specifically, San Mateo County and East Bay received storm warnings. In Los Angeles County, the average rainfall recorded was four times the monthly average. The effects of the storm in Southern California were heavily felt.
“I was in Anaheim last week, and all of the outdoor rides at Disneyland were closed,” said Carlmont sophomore Leah Clements.
Los Angeles recorded 590 mudslides and 1,180 potholes in one day alone. Landslides along the coast were also common. The community of Rancho Palos Verdes asked California Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of local emergency due to unprecedented land movements.
The storms in California demonstrate the effects of climate change. As temperature increases, atmospheric rivers increase their moisture-holding capacity, leading to large precipitation volumes.
“There is this broad consensus that it’s not just El Niño operating in isolation. There is also climate change operating on top of that,” said climate scientist Michelle L’Heureux in a statement to the Washington Post.
During the storms, students at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) were asked to evacuate north of the Los Angeles area. In addition, the Santa Barbara airport was closed on Feb. 19 due to heavy flooding on the airfield.
“The airfield and surrounding areas experienced a significant amount of flooding, but we’re happy to report there was no major damage,” airport officials said in a local news alert.
Many in Southern California felt The storm’s impact, and residents look forward to warmer months ahead.
