Officials have raised concerns that high rainfall rates could loosen debris in areas scorched by the Station fire, causing flows that could damage nearby homes and put residents in danger.
“Luckily, the rain fell steady enough that we came close to some of the thresholds, but we never actually exceeded any of them,” Meier said.
Rain caused no problems for Glendale officials, said Sgt. Robert Breckenridge of the Glendale Police Dept.
As few as 0.3 inches of rainfall over a 30 minute period has previously triggered debris flows in Southern California, according to the United States Geological Survey.
With the increased frequency of regional rain storms this year, following a fire that was the largest in Los Angeles County history and burned away foliage that typically helps to keep soil from moving during rains, officials are expecting large debris flows to overwhelm nearby flood control basins.
About 15 inches of rain has fallen in the region since the start of the National Weather Service’s rain season measurements in July, about 2 inches more than in a normal year, according to the agency.
Out of that total, about 11.5 inches have fallen since the start of the year, 2.7 inches more than normal during that period, according to the agency.
While the increased totals have kept officials on alert for debris flows, the rains have also given public workers an opportunity to keep residents educated about the potential dangers posed by rains, Meier said.
“Because we’ve had so man storms this season, it has created heightened awareness,” she said.
No area evacuations were ordered because of the light weekend storm.
