December 19, 2023

Los Angeles, CA – As the first significant storm of the winter season approaches, Los Angeles County is collaborating with agencies across the region to protect the public from flood danger, and to capture as much stormwater as possible to become future drinking water. 

“LA County is prepared to keep our communities and our roadways safe as a wet weather event and the holidays draw near. There are important precautions the public can take to stay safe, including driving slowly, avoiding flooded areas, and always staying informed,” said Chair Lindsey P. Horvath. “We are also prepared to capture and conserve stormwater to increase our local water supply for drinking water and other essential uses to support our goal of increasing our local water supply by 80% by 2045.”

Residents are urged to know their property’s risk factors, clear drainage paths near homes and other structures, and call the Public Works 24-hour Dispatch Center to report storm-related damage, traffic signal outages, or flooding, and to get information on sandbags at 1-800-675-HELP (4357).

 Other wet weather tips include: 

• Heed all instructions from emergency responders and emergency alert notifications. 
• Drive cautiously and slow down – many roadways will be wet and slippery. 
• Do not attempt to cross flooded areas and never enter moving water. 
• As little as six inches of water can knock over and carry away an adult and 18-24 inches of water can carry away most large SUVs, vans. and trucks. Follow the advice: “Turn around, don’t drown!” 

Climate change is having a whiplash effect on our weather, where years of drought are followed by seasons of intense rainfall like the one the southland experienced in the winter of 2022-23. Downtown LA saw 33.4 inches of rain during that season—twice its annual average. 
 
Through the careful management of its flood control system, LA County Public Works put more than 204 billion gallons back into the groundwater system—enough to supply five million people for a year. 
 
“LA County owns a world class system of water conservation and flood protection. This system is prepared to capture and conserve valuable stormwater while protecting communities,” said Mark Pestrella, P.E., Director of LA County Public Works. “Our system is primed to capture as much stormwater as possible in our efforts to increase the region’s overall local water supply by 600,000-acre feet by 2045.”

While LA County Public Works continues its operation of a sprawling network of 14 major dams, 500 miles of open channels, 26 spreading grounds and 3,400 miles of underground storm drains, the department advises the public to be prepared for the brunt of winter storms. 

For additional tips and resources on how to prepare for storm season, visit ready.lacounty.gov. Please visit alert.lacounty.gov to register for emergency alerts. For a list of locations offering sandbags throughout Los Angeles County, see this resource. 

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