By Lyn Jensen, Carson Reporter
As another winter storm season approaches, several agencies were asked what’s being done to protect Carson and adjacent areas from dangerous levels of flooding, following a year where flooding was major news, locally and nationally.
Very destructive hurricanes hit the southern United States and the Caribbean, but flooding closer to Carson made news, too. On Jan. 22 one of the heaviest storms to hit the Los Angeles area in several seasons flooded the 110 freeway under the Carson Street overpass. That same day flooding on Sepulveda Boulevard in West Carson engulfed several cars and their occupants. In both locations water was up to car hoods.
Julio Gonzalez, a senior engineering technician with Carson, explained that local flooding is determined by the capacity of storm drains. City crews have been making sure the city’s storm systems, including catch basins, are clean and free of debris. If not, the drain can become clogged. To prevent that, the city is putting screens on its catch basins.
Another concern is confirming the city’s several pumps are operable, including the Dominguez pumping station at the east end of Torrance Boulevard. That station, one of Carson’s largest, was installed in 2001 to mitigate what had previously been one of the city’s most obvious problem areas. It pumps water into the Dominguez Channel from an underground storm system.
Gonzales said there are no plans for system improvements at this time because the city’s stormwater system in place is sufficient.
Concerning flooding on the 110 Freeway, he noted Carson doesn’t have jurisdiction. The California Department of Transportation, also known as Caltrans, does.
Timothy Weisberg, a spokesperson for Caltrans, was asked about the 110 freeway being shut down last winter because of flooding.
“[I]t was caused by a variety of factors,” he said. “The Carson pump house also had a mechanical issue that kept it from operating at full capacity, and there was a power outage in the area. … The pump has since been fixed and is ready to run — at full capacity…. Pump houses all across the South Bay region have been inspected to ensure they are working properly.”
As for the stretch of Sepulveda in West Carson that has a history of flooding, jurisdiction may be an issue. West Carson is an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County, outside Carson’s jurisdiction. The nearby Bixby Marshland is within Carson’s city limits but is maintained by the Los Angeles County Sanitation Department. It provides a natural low area for large volumes of water to collect and perhaps backflow.
Gonzalez suggested a channel just south of Sepulveda, which he identified as part of the Wilmington Drain, a tributary of the Dominguez Channel, may have a maintenance issue, or a right-of-way issue.
Ed Teran of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works responded that the stretch of Sepulveda in West Carson is not on his department’s radar. He commented the “hot spots” for flooding tend to be along coastal areas, while cities like Carson and Torrance are normally not considered a problem.
Kerjon Lee, public affairs manager for the same department, said cities work with the county when improving drainage infrastructure. He suggested people concerned about flooding, or potential for flooding, may contact their city’s public works department or, for unincorporated areas, their county supervisor’s office. He directed anyone with urgent needs to visit the county website or phone the public works dispatcher at (800) 675-4357.