El Niño-induced wet winter could begin inundating California next month

Meteorologists are anticipating strong El Niño conditions this winter, with widespread wetness likely to drench much of the California coast as soon as next month and persisting into spring.

“Currently, we have El Niño conditions, strong El Niño conditions at that. And those are continuing to intensify,” Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles said during a recent webinar on the subject.

“Models suggest that the current El Niño event will further strengthen it potentially into a very strong, or a quote-unquote, ‘super’ El Niño event, within the next couple of months,” he added.
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I expect to see video of $$$ mansions built near the edge of hillsides slidining off to become kindling.

They need the rain...

JacksinPA said:

El Niño-induced wet winter could begin inundating California next month

Meteorologists are anticipating strong El Niño conditions this winter, with widespread wetness likely to drench much of the California coast as soon as next month and persisting into spring. …

thehill.com

Meteorologists are anticipating strong El Niño conditions this winter, with widespread wetness likely to drench much of the California coast as soon as next month and persisting into spring.

“Currently, we have El Niño conditions, strong El Niño conditions at that. And those are continuing to intensify,” Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles said during a recent webinar on the subject.

“Models suggest that the current El Niño event will further strengthen it potentially into a very strong, or a quote-unquote, ‘super’ El Niño event, within the next couple of months,” he added.
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I expect to see video of $$$ mansions built near the edge of hillsides slidining off to become kindling.

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Spotting the slippery slope: What to watch out for when buying a hillside home​

This winter’s heavy rains were a blessing for California, relieving the prolonged drought, sending waterfalls cascading down mountainsides and giving rise to a spectacular super-bloom.

But for owners and potential buyers of hillside homes? Not so much.

Los Angeles has received more than 18 inches of rain this year, nearly 8 inches more than average. Water seeping into the soil has led to mudslides, landslides and slope instability, threatening many of the picturesque houses that loom over the city.

“Rain is the biggest cause of problems for hillside homes,” said Dave Grover of Grover Geology, who has examined at-risk properties since 1972. “Wet and dry cycles lead to heaving, shrinking of the soil and related building movement.”

The Hollywood Hills saw two landslides in January, including one that rendered Brett and Adria Copeland’s home uninhabitable.

The couple were renting on Gould Avenue in Laurel Canyon when Adria noticed a crack in the bottom deck. Heeding a gut feeling and the advice of friend in the contracting business, the couple decamped to a nearby hotel.

As they drove home the next morning, the Copelands were shocked by the sight of their balcony dangling off the cliff and the presence of city officials, who gave them 15 minutes to collect anything of value before the home was declared off-limits. Weeks later, the property is still red-tagged, with many of the Copelands’ belongings still inside.

I need to put some new wiper blades on the Miata.

Grandpappy said:

I need to put some new wiper blades on the Miata.

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How long can you tread water?

Guy in S FL said the rain storm that caused area flooding lasted only 5 minutes.

Sounds like we'll be having a mix of benefits and harms.

SenorXm/Sirius said:

They need the rain...

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December and March are California's rainy months. When it rains in California, it is like rain from the midwest, coming down in sheets. It isn't that drizzle that just constantly pisses on you, like they get in along the west coast of Washington State. California's rainy season is typically after California's Santa Ana Winds created their fire season. Which is why they end up with a mud season, after all that heavy rain completely saturates the soil.

You can probably also expect several feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains along I-5 and I-80 where they cut through the mountain range.

Keep in mind that after El Nino years California has a tendency to go back into drought-like conditions for 3 to 5 years, until the next El Nino shows up.

JacksinPA said:

Spotting the slippery slope: What to watch out for when buying a hillside home​

Spotting the slippery slope: What to watch out for when buying a hillside home

This winter’s heavy rains were a blessing for California, relieving the prolonged drought, sending waterfalls cascading down mountainsides and giving rise to a spectacular super-bloom.

www.latimes.com

This winter’s heavy rains were a blessing for California, relieving the prolonged drought, sending waterfalls cascading down mountainsides and giving rise to a spectacular super-bloom.

But for owners and potential buyers of hillside homes? Not so much.

Los Angeles has received more than 18 inches of rain this year, nearly 8 inches more than average. Water seeping into the soil has led to mudslides, landslides and slope instability, threatening many of the picturesque houses that loom over the city.

“Rain is the biggest cause of problems for hillside homes,” said Dave Grover of Grover Geology, who has examined at-risk properties since 1972. “Wet and dry cycles lead to heaving, shrinking of the soil and related building movement.”

The Hollywood Hills saw two landslides in January, including one that rendered Brett and Adria Copeland’s home uninhabitable.

The couple were renting on Gould Avenue in Laurel Canyon when Adria noticed a crack in the bottom deck. Heeding a gut feeling and the advice of friend in the contracting business, the couple decamped to a nearby hotel.

As they drove home the next morning, the Copelands were shocked by the sight of their balcony dangling off the cliff and the presence of city officials, who gave them 15 minutes to collect anything of value before the home was declared off-limits. Weeks later, the property is still red-tagged, with many of the Copelands’ belongings still inside.

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California's coast is constantly eroding away. Which includes every beach from San Diego to San Francisco. Long Beach, Newport, and other similar coastal communities are flat, so they don't make the news when their beaches erode away, but they are still losing shoreline. Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, and Malibu get all the news because their shorelines involve cliffs and multi-million dollar homes crashing into the sea.

Hollywood Hills is not even on the coast. I have driven through Laurel Canyon many times. There are places that are pretty steep, and very little bedrock in the area. When it rains the water can come down the road like a river, overflowing the hood and completely blocking the windshield so that even the wipers are completely useless. The only way you can proceed is by looking out your side windows and trying to judge your distance from other vehicles, because it was impossible to see anything out the front windshield.

Los Angeles may only average 14" of precipitation annually, but they can get it all in a two month period.

Just remember to stay out of the ocean for a minimum of 72 hours after a heavy down-pour, or you will end up with chemical burns from all the toxic waste that was flushed out to sea by the run-off.

JacksinPA said:

How long can you tread water?

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That depends on the water temperature. In ideal conditions, for days if necessary. In the waters around Alaska unprotected, about 20 minutes before I lose consciousness from hypothermia.

Glitch said:

That depends on the water temperature. In ideal conditions, for days if necessary. In the waters around Alaska unprotected, about 20 minutes before I lose consciousness from hypothermia.

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Erm, i highly doubt you could tread water for days even in perfect conditions.

Peter said:

Erm, i highly doubt you could tread water for days even in perfect conditions.

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Of course I could. The Marine Corps taught me how.

Glitch said:

Of course I could. The Marine Corps taught me how.

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Are you in the marines now?
Maybe when you were in the marines and super fit and in a swimming pool but not in the sea.

Peter said:

Are you in the marines now?
Maybe when you were in the marines and super fit and in a swimming pool but not in the sea.

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Do you think people lose the knowledge they gained while in the military once they separate from service?

Staying afloat for days has absolutely nothing to do with strength or endurance. You can be 90 years old and still manage it. Like I said, it has more to do with the temperature of the water than anything else.

Glitch said:

Do you think people lose the knowledge they gained while in the military once they separate from service?

Staying afloat for days has absolutely nothing to do with strength or endurance. You can be 90 years old and still manage it. Like I said, it has more to do with the temperature of the water than anything else.

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No I don't think you lose knowedge but I do think you lose endurance and I am a distance swimmer and know how hard it is to stay afloat.
We're talking way beyond 36 hours here and doing anything for 36 hours isn't easy let alone treading water.

Peter said:

No I don't think you lose knowedge but I do think you lose endurance and I am a distance swimmer and know how hard it is to stay afloat.
We're talking way beyond 36 hours here and doing anything for 36 hours isn't easy let alone treading water.

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How much endurance do you think is required to float in water? Have you ever been in anything other than bathwater? I have fallen asleep while floating on my back. It is rather difficult to expend much energy while sleeping.

Glitch said:

How much endurance do you think is required to float in water? Have you ever been in anything other than bathwater? I have fallen asleep while floating on my back. It is rather difficult to expend much energy while sleeping.

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As I said I'm a distance swimmer who did 5k swims most days.
I won't claim I'm anything special and anyone can do that distance with a bit of effort but I do know that staying afloat isn't effortless and doing so for 36 hours to stay alive and not drown is going to be tough.