
Massive rainfall in southern California unleashed a torrent of mud in the Los Angeles area Saturday, but did little to put a dent in the months-long drought that has the region thirsting for more.
The rainstorm brought eight inches of precipitation to the mountain areas around Los Angeles and three inches to the city itself, the highest rainfall levels the city has seen in years, the Associated Press reports. Officials mandated an evacuation of several communities east of Los Angeles where mudslides made roads impassable.
About 32,000 households were hit with power outages and slicked roads caused numerous traffic accidents across the city. The heavy rain led to home evacuations along certain roads in various city neighborhoods. The Pacific Coast Highway near Malibu was closed after rocks and debris covered the road.
But forecasters said there would have to be several additional storms to make any dent in the region’s historic drought. Total rainfall for the season remain 7 inches below the normal 11 inches in Los Angeles, a drought affecting every square mile in the state and costing billions of dollars.
[AP]
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Inside Elon Musk’s War on Washington
- Meet the 2025 Women of the Year
- Why Do More Young Adults Have Cancer?
- Colman Domingo Leads With Radical Love
- 11 New Books to Read in Februar
- How to Get Better at Doing Things Alone
- Cecily Strong on Goober the Clown
- Column: The Rise of America’s Broligarchy
Contact us at letters@time.com