Last weekend, July 18 and 19, Los Angeles was surprised by heavy rainfall. Residents were not expecting the incident as July is the driest month in Los Angeles. These heavy rains are caused by the tropical storm Dolores, bringing all-time rainfall records for the month of July.
Tropical Storm Dolores reached its hurricane status last July 13, affecting Central America and the Eastern Pacific regions. Though the hurricane has already left the country, the remaining amounts of rainfall was extended to Southern California, specifically in San Diego and Los Angeles.
The heavy rains were accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and flooding. According to AP news, Saturday's rainfall brought about a 0.36 inch of rain in Los Angeles, California, surpassing the record in July 14, 1886, which was only at 0.24 inch.
It was really a peculiar record-breaking experience for the residents because July has been the driest month of the year so far. However, with the heavy rainfall and floods, the weekend has been recorded as the wettest days in July in almost 130 years, AP news added.
One good thing about the heavy rainfall was that two wildfires had just occured in Los Angeles last Friday. The heavy rainfall turned out to be a blessing in disguise as it helped the firefighters control the fires.
However, the rainstorm also brought flashfloods. According to LA Curbed, toxic materials, garbage, trash, chemicals, contaminants and pollutants were carried out into the ocean by the floods.
LA Curbed also reported that the local government of LA, Ventura, Orange, and San Diego Counties have warned beachgoers and residents to stay away from the ocean for the meantime. They advised the people to refrain from swimming and to keep a distance of 100 yards from the beach, to avoid the health hazards brought by the floods.
Residents should follow this safety advisory for 72 hours after the heavy rainfall, as toxic wastes might still be present in the water after the downpour and flooding.
