STORMS MAY WASH RECORDS AWAY.Byline: Peter Hartlaub Daily News Staff Writer The newest El Nino-propelled storm slammed into the coast Monday, leading a five-storm train that threatens to smash the 165-year-old record for February rainfall in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. . As records also appeared ready to fall in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. , emergency crews and residents braced for this latest set of storms that threatened to do even more damage to West Hills homes in the path of a mudslide. In Ventura, workers raced to drain an earthen earth·en adj. 1. Made of earth or clay: an earthen fortification; an earthen pot. 2. Earthly; worldly. dam that formed at the base of Hall Canyon, and police and firefighters warned residents of 150 homes there to be ready to evacuate at a moment's notice. The first storm is expected to dump as many as 3 inches of rain by the end of today, bringing thunderstorms thunderstorms a storm characterized by thunder and lightning caused by strong rising air currents; identified as agents of animal disease because of their involvement causing (1) spasmodic colic; (2) lightning strike; (3) injuries of cattle acquired in stampedes initiated by storms. and as much as 7 inches of snow in the mountains before leaving the region by the evening, forecasters said. Four other storms expected to hit over the next week could bring at least an inch of rain each, forecasters said. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara Santa Barbara (săn'tə bär`brə, –bərə), city (1990 pop. 85,571), seat of Santa Barbara co., S Calif., on the Pacific Ocean; inc. 1850. Counties Monday night, warning residents that flash floods are possible until 6 a.m. this morning. Today's rain and the storms that follow could produce enough rainfall to break the Los Angeles Civic Center's February record of 13.37 inches, set in 1834, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. National Weather Service meteorologists Atmospheric scientists
``We've got half a month left and . . . quite a series of storms coming at us,'' said Stuart Seto, a Weather Service specialist. ``We've got a shot at it.'' Breaking the season rainfall record - measured from July 1 to June 30 - is probably out of reach, however. The Civic Center had received 17.17 inches of rain before the latest storm. The season record is 38.18, set in 1833-34. Woodland Hills had 24.25 inches of rain before the new storm, including 12.43 inches in February, according to Valley residents who keep records for the Weather Service. In the 21 years rainfall amounts have been logged, the Woodland Hills rainfall record for a season was set in 1977-78, an El Nino year, when 37.08 inches fell, said William Reid William Reid may refer to:
n. The meteorological study of climates and their phenomena. cli  ma·to·log . The February
record is 16.30 inches in 1992.
`Short-term fix' In West Hills, city workers continued to try to save several homes damaged by a mudslide Friday morning, covering the saturated hillside with a quilt of plastic tarps. Sandbag Sandbag A stalling tactic used by management to deter a company that is showing interest in taking them over. Notes: The company stalls in hopes that a more favorable company will take them over. walls were set up near threatened homes and plastic pipes snaked over the tarps, draining water into the street. Inspector David Keim of the city Department of Building and Safety said he's optimistic the hill will be intact after the new set of storms. ``We got two inches of rain Saturday, and it doesn't look like there was any movement,'' Keim said. ``It's a very short-term fix. There will have to be some extensive engineering for a long-term fix.'' Richard Magdaleno has a pile of tarp-covered mud leaning against his garage on Shoup Avenue, but no structural damage to his house - so far. A resident of West Hills for 21 years, he is thankful for help from the city workers and his neighbors. ``We've been getting a lot of looky-loos, a lot of people who want to see destruction, but you can always tell who your neighbors are,'' Magdaleno said. ``They come and pick up a shovel with you. That's the greatest feeling.'' Down the coast, Los Angeles County lifeguards A division of the County of Los Angeles Fire Department, the Lifeguard operations safeguard 31 miles of beach and 70 miles of coastline, from San Pedro in the south, to Malibu in the north; Protecting about 55 million beach patrons annually. were at normal staffing Monday evening, despite the heavy surf advisory. Ocean Lifeguard Specialist Kirk Thomas said today's surf - which forecasters said could exceed 15 feet on west-facing beaches - wouldn't match the waves that hit last week. ``Nothing spectacular,'' Thomas said. ``It's packing a little power, but last week was bigger.'' The Los Angeles Fire Department The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), also known as the Los Angeles City Fire Department to distinguish it from the Los Angeles County Fire Department. It is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of Los Angeles. deployed two swift-water rescue teams Monday as a precaution although no emergency response was required. They are expected to start monitoring the flood channels today. Supervisors at the city Bureau of Street Maintenance were taking a similar wait-and-see approach. The storm is expected to dump 3 inches of new snow above 5,000 feet, and 7 inches at the upper elevations. That's good news for ski resorts like Mount Baldy, where there's already a 3- to 7-foot base. ``The skiing here's the best it's been since 1993,'' said Kristina DeWitt, who works in the Mount Baldy ticket office. ``We have more snow than Colorado right now.'' Daily News Staff Writers Sonia Giordani and Deborah Sullivan contributed to this story. CAPTION(S): Photo, 2 charts PHOTO (color) City workers hurry to beat the rain Monday as they lay sandbags sandbags small sacks containing sand used to support an anesthetized animal in dorsal recumbency and prevent it from rolling sideways during anesthesia or surgery. and plastic sheeting behind a home on Napa Street in West Hills. David Sprague/Daily News Chart: (1) L.A. rainfall For the month of February (2) L.A. rainfall For the year |
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