California Rain Brings Mudslides But No Drought Relief

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]