Friday, December 12, 2014

Drought-Stricken Southern California Wakes Up To Massive Storm

By Douglas V. Gibbs

It is the second bit of rain we've had recently, and the people that were panicking we are in a drought are now panicking because of all of the rain.  A Los Angeles radio station, FM 100.3 The Sound, tongue in cheek, has named it "Storm-a-geddon 2014."  After slamming Northern California, the southern end of the State is receiving much needed rain, while the insurance companies pull their hair out watching all of the automobile accidents on the SoCal freeways.

As children decide whether or not to brave the pounding of raindrops on the way to school, the storm has left 70,000 residents in Southern California without power.  The heavy rain has triggered flash flooding, flooded streets, downed trees, downed power lines, closed roads and freeways, rockslides, and mud flows.

The rain is much needed, but will probably only make a small dent in the needed rain total for the drought-stricken part of the country.  With hillsides stripped of vegetation because of fires, the runoff is dramatic, and flooding occurs quickly.  Throughout the State crews are working to restore power in areas that have suffered a loss of electricity, while many residents have been either trapped in their homes, trapped out of their homes, or led to evacuation centers because of flooding, debris-flow, or mud.

Thursday was a bright, sun shining day, and as many Southern California residents went to bed, some wondered if rain was even going to hit.  Original estimates had the rain striking the Inland Empire between Los Angeles and San Diego at about 7:00 pm, but that number changed to after midnight when, all of a sudden, we went from dry skies to a heavy deluge.

In Camarillo Springs, after midnight the storm suddenly dropped up to 2 inches of rain in an hour, and at least 24 homes were damaged by mud flows.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

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