How Much Did It Rain Yesterday In Los Angeles
This past week has been an absolute storm! There have been over 20 inches of rain recorded at some airports, not to mention major flooding across much of Southern California.
With all that rainfall comes lots of water runoff from streets and buildings. Unfortunately, this hydrologic event also brings its own set of problems when it comes to wastewater.
Fortunately, we are still experiencing a lull period as far as sewage discharges go. However, there is no telling how long this will last so you should be prepared for either very little change or significant changes in your daily routine.
This article will talk about what needs to be done during and after a heavy downpour to prevent sewer overflows and other issues. Also, there will be information on how to handle normal amounts of precipitation.
Rainfall is important for...
Keeping your house dry
Most of us have experienced a rainy day at some time, and we probably noticed that water seems to flow uphill, or at least it feels like that!
This is because as rain falls, it takes its place inside of the earth or ground. As these rocks get filled up with water, they become denser and therefore heavier.
The gravity force is strong enough to pull this new fluid upwards, so if there are no natural barriers (like mountains) then it will run off into the air.
As the air gets wetter, it becomes lighter than before, and so it rises. This effect can be seen everywhere you look, and it is why when it rains hard people say that the sky is raining down.
Now that we have gone over what happens when it rains, let’s talk about how much it rained in certain areas of LA yesterday.
Effects of rainfall on the environment
The effects that precipitation has on our environment are very complex, to say the least! These changes occur due to chemical reactions happening between water and the air or ground it comes into contact with.
The most well-known effect is erosion, where rain removes material from the terrain. This can be done physically, like when heavy rains flood rivers, or chemically, like when acidic waters dissolve rock.
Another important effect is greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which look at how efficiently plants use energy to produce nutrients and oxygen for living. Plants breathe using photosynthesis, so heavier than average rainfall may cause them to struggle to do this effectively, thus releasing more GHGs into the atmosphere.
Some studies have even found links between heavy rainfall and increased asthma symptoms, possibly because water gets trapped in mucus, leaving those who suffer from respiratory issues struggling to clear their lungs.
Effects of rainfall on the economy
The effects that rain has on our daily lives are very important to understand. We spend money due to weather!
When it rains, people go outside to enjoy the water. Many will come out with umbrellas or other protective gear so they do not get wet. This is because they want to be able to leave their houses easily and protect themselves from the elements.
Some people will choose to remain inside instead, which can be expensive if you have a business that requires your presence. If someone does stay outside, then they may need an umbrella for protection, which can add to the cost of this activity.
The snow we experience during winter months is another effect of precipitation. Because it is cold, people tend to visit malls or shops that offer warm shelter and dry clothing items. Malls make sales as people shop while staying within sheltered environments to preserve warmth.
Overall, weather affects the economy greatly by influencing how people interact with each other and store owners. These costs can be seen in the way businesses operate and in what products and services they supply.
Rainfall is important for...
Keeping your house or car safe
Removing excess water to allow for more efficient drying
And helping trees grow!
When it rains, the ground becomes saturated. As this process continues, groundwater moves up towards the surface as rainwater percolates through porous soil and into the air we breathe. This is how most rainfall gets absorbed into our atmosphere.
As these drops move up through the earth’s layers, some of it eventually makes its way back down as liquid. When this re-entry occurs, it can cause flooding near the surface.
This is why it's so crucial that you don't underestimate the importance of rainfall! The more rain that falls, the higher the water table will become, and the greater potential for floods.
Surface levels of water also increase due to the additional moisture. This can create ideal conditions for vegetation growth, which helps keep us breathing fresh air.
Coastal erosion
As we mentioned, coastal erosion is a major cause of flooding along our shores. When waves hit the shoreline, large chunks of rock or soil are moved away, leaving an open space that water can fill.
This happens when there’s enough rain to make the surface waters rise above the level at which they normally sit. Sometimes this occurs because the ground is saturated from all the rainfall already, and so the water has nowhere else to go.
Other times, storms bring high winds that blow away topsoil or sandbar islands that act as natural protections against floods. Unfortunately, these things must often be done to ensure safety for people living nearby!
Coastal areas have become increasingly vulnerable to rising seas due to urban development. More homes and businesses mean more exposure to flood risks.
Fortunately, you don’t need special equipment to help keep track of how much it rained where you live. All you need to do is check if your area was declared a federal disaster zone, and use some simple tools to calculate how much it rained where you typically spend time and money.
Make sure to include the costs of repairs related to damage in both cases when calculating how much it rained.
Coastal land rises
As climate change brings longer, more intense weather events to our coastal areas, it is important to understand how coastal elevation changes due to rising seas.
Many cities along America’s coastline have seen their shorelines rise over time due to natural processes like river erosion or underground water movement. However, some of these shifts are much more dramatic than others!
As sea levels climb, there is an important distinction to make between inland “islanding” and beach “lengthening” coasts. Islanding occurs when large bays or lagoons get filled in by sediment deposited from upstream sources. This sometimes creates small lands that go unnoticed for years before people realize what has happened.
Beach lengthening happens when ocean waves erode away dry land next to the ocean. These beaches often grow slowly at first, then pick up speed as the wave action increases with higher tides and storms.
Some islanded coast lines eventually become high enough to bridge rivers flowing into them, creating new land. A famous example of this was during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, when flooding caused by storm surges connected Rariton Beach in New York with The Narrows in Staten Island.
Coastal land loss due to sinking takes place when underwater landslides collapse and waste material such as sand sinks down into the seafloor. Some of the most notable examples of coastal sinkholes occur where tectonic activity causes volcanic eruptions or earthquakes.
Coastal storms
This past Tuesday was an interesting day in coastal Los Angeles! Starting at around 9:30 AM, there were some reports of very heavy rain near Santa Monica. These rains moved quickly inland towards West Hills where residents reported significant flooding.
Around 1 PM local time, large hail began to form over parts of South Pasadena. Hailstones as big as golf balls were recorded at times!
At this stage, it was clear that the area would see significant downpours for much of the afternoon. However, things took a turn for the weird when people started reporting seeing green lightning flashes coming from the sky.
These lightning flashes are typically associated with electrical power surges or static discharges which occur when two different materials come into contact. In our case, these contacts happened between water drops and air which makes them seem more striking than normal. A small amount of electricity is often what causes lightening to strike somewhere nearby.
Overall though, this wasn’t too long of a storm and no major damage was done anywhere. All involved escaped without any injuries.