Atmospheric River Hitting Post-Fire LA Region – Statement from Los Angeles Waterkeeper

LOS ANGELES — A major atmospheric river will hit the LA region Wednesday evening, with heavy rains expected through the evening of Feb. 13. The region is preparing for likely impacts on areas ravaged by wildfires last month. Authorities are already raising concerns about toxic runoff making its way into local waterways, potential mudslides, and the risk of flooding. Governor Newsom recently issued an Executive Order calling on cities to capture more stormwater; Los Angeles County already has a voter-approved stormwater capture program in place that is still in its early phases.

Below is a statement from LA Waterkeeper’s Executive Director, Bruce Reznik, about the potential impacts of these storms on water quality and public safety, and priorities for next steps:

“The impact of our changing climate on the water cycle – wild swings from drought to drench, with the attendant intensifying wildfires, mudslides, and toxic contamination – impacts every Angeleno and Californian. These wildfires have made it clear that we are sorely underprepared for the times we are living through. Although we will never be able to completely avoid potentially hazardous runoff from ash and debris after the fires, and the impacts that will have on drinking water and wildlife, we could and must be doing a lot more to capture stormwater to increase local resilience and to maintain water quality.

“Storms like the one now advancing on the LA region show us that we must rethink our overall approach to water management. Drought, fire and flooding are the new normal in California. Investments in resilient local water supplies, like wastewater recycling, stormwater capture, cleaning up contaminated groundwater and conservation are essential to make our region more prepared for the ongoing weather whiplash and storms of the future. Having better systems in place would reduce immediate impacts of heavy rain events and leave us more prepared for the inevitable dry times that we know are coming.”