El Niño Flooding Has Started
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
United States
October 15, 2015 6:43pm CST
I have the news on at the moment, and decided to underscore the warnings about flooding. El Niño has started giving us what the drought took away, rain. But the Mamas and Papas were right, here, in Southern California, it does not rain, but it pours.
There was a serious flash flood today near what was an empty Lake Hughes. The drought made it dry up, but there is water in it now, dirty, dark water full of debris. This is the first of what will probably be a large number of dangerous floods. My rain gutters were repaired and cleaned last week. I'm ready. I hope everyone else gets ready too.
21 people like this
23 responses
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
16 Oct 15
Yes, but there are decades between the fluctuations. This means many people do not know how to prepare and protect themselves. I'm old enough to remember.
2 people like this
@rebelann (111164)
• El Paso, Texas
16 Oct 15
It's a lot like here which I find surprising because you're so close to the ocean @ElizabethWallace
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
16 Oct 15
@rebelann Same as where I live. I'm 1/4 mile from the sea, but rain? Not often and not much...yet.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
16 Oct 15
i've been watchin' the weather patterns 's well. i fear there's gonna be lots'f floodin' in california, texas, louisiana 'n warmer'n norm 'long the coast - where the droughts gonna settle. stay safe 's ya can, ms. elizabeth! there aint no way to stop that water/mudslides once they start 
i was surin' hopin' mother nature'd be kind 'n give y'all drizzles fer 'bout a week to soften those grounds 'fore the heavens opened up.
i was surin' hopin' mother nature'd be kind 'n give y'all drizzles fer 'bout a week to soften those grounds 'fore the heavens opened up.3 people like this
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
16 Oct 15
@ElizabethWallace yes ma'am, most important indeed. unfortunately those flood plains change o'er the years... there's lots 'f folks in the carolina's who can sadly attest to such.
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
16 Oct 15
It is important to pick one's home after carefully looking at many factors, including weather patterns and where flooding or wildfires might occur. I should be fine where I am.
1 person likes this
@connierebel (1557)
• United States
15 Oct 15
Wow, your weather is just going from one extreme to the next!
2 people like this
@rebelann (111164)
• El Paso, Texas
16 Oct 15
Oh my, I recall way back when all those mud slides happened in SCa I think it was in the 1980s. Then here in 2006 we had our first ever flooding which caused all those huge expensive mansions built on the arroyos of our Franklin Mountains to be swept away. It was devastating for all those rich wannabees.
Ok, this is scary, if that happens again I'll be stuck at home and prayin the Fedex guy can make it to my gate with my purchases 
1 person likes this
@rebelann (111164)
• El Paso, Texas
16 Oct 15
Well, there's a new one @ElizabethWallace be right back, gotta check out Vons
@rebelann (111164)
• El Paso, Texas
16 Oct 15
so much for Vons @ElizabethWallace they don't serve Southwest TX.
BUTT I have Walmart.com 
love not havin to trip over unruly kids.1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
16 Oct 15
FedEx, UPS and Von's.com will have to deal with it, while the rest of us stay home. 
1 person likes this
@wiLLmaH (8801)
• Singapore, Singapore
17 Oct 15
@ElizabethWallace Philippines experiencing this El Niño for almost every year. But still the government and people are seems not yet ready for this kind of phenomenon
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
16 Oct 15
I will, but I think she is pretty easy to understand. El Nino equals rain for the southwest.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
18 Oct 15
@wiLLmaH It is sad that governments don't get ready for recurring events.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
16 Oct 15
It will be a wet one for your area, but little of that moisture is supposed to cross the border into Oregon, unfortunately.
2 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
16 Oct 15
I saw that on the future weather map online. Sorry. Looks like the moisture is going to stay south of you.
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
16 Oct 15
@TheHorse I don't think so. James and I have probably seen the same weather maps. They don't look good for Oregon or Washington..
@much2say (53959)
• Los Angeles, California
19 Oct 15
Hubby's friend lives in the Lake Hughes area. He's been posting videos of what the floods have done to his property - oh how unreal! It's crazy that Lake Hughes is really not all that far from us - and we have not gotten a drop of rain here. We're just being teased!
1 person likes this
@much2say (53959)
• Los Angeles, California
20 Oct 15
@ElizabethWallace It's definitely been missed here! 
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
20 Oct 15
It has been like that lately. Rain is hit or miss, and when it hits, it's hard.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130066)
• India
17 Oct 15
Nature is playing up making us run around in circles.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
18 Oct 15
All we have to do is pay attention to weather patterns. In some areas, that's pretty hard to do. In others, it's fairly easy.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (458091)
• Switzerland
16 Oct 15
@ElizabethWallace It is a dry day and I see that the water is almost all gone. Nothing wrong and no damages.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
16 Oct 15
Sorry about that, but if graded properly, your garden should drain fairly quickly and survive. Good luck.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
18 Oct 15
@LadyDuck That's great news. It would be hard to lose a well developed garden.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (111164)
• El Paso, Texas
16 Oct 15
We average between 4" to 6" a year here @ElizabethWallace how much is your general average?
@jabo you're so lucky to live in a lush country.
2 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
16 Oct 15
Well, yes. But it is mostly dry here. Even our wet years are drier than in most places.
2 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
16 Oct 15
@rebelann Online it says we get 13" per year, but that is over the history of record keeping. We have only had about 3 or 4" for the last few years.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (79708)
• United States
17 Oct 15
I saw that flooding was expected in So. California. Crazy how it went from no rain to floods
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
18 Oct 15
This is typical of arid areas. If the rain comes down too fast, it cannot soak into the soil and runs off fast enough to cause damage.
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
17 Oct 15
I remember many people writing about the drought last year while here in the UK we were plagued by awful floods. There seems to be no happy medium. I noticed how the lake at the hoover dam had dropped quite considerably over the past few years.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
20 Oct 15
Some of our lakes have disappeared almost completely.
@TheHorse (205716)
• Walnut Creek, California
16 Oct 15
@ElizabethWallace I read somewhere about a new kind of cement that absorbs water. Not sure if it was from a trusted source. Not sure what they could do--have canals net to all major roads? Would even that work?
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
18 Oct 15
@TheHorse It would have to absorb mud and debris to be of much use in cases like flash floods.
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
16 Oct 15
Exactly. But that is not what we usually get. Too bad the city planners in our country do not plan for what happens over and over. Sheesh.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
20 Oct 15
Well, your Mets beat my Dodgers. I watched the Dodgers strand players on bases, not how you win games, guys.
I watched the Dodgers strand players on bases, not how you win games, guys.
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
16 Oct 15
Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. That's what I do.
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
18 Oct 15
I always do. It's the people who don't pay attention who are in trouble. Such is life.
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (48931)
• United States
16 Oct 15
I. Heard on the news that we will be having severe weather all over.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
18 Oct 15
You can look it up on weather dot com. Some areas will have a mild winter, others not so much.
@antonbunot (11091)
• Calgary, Alberta
16 Oct 15
Well, El Nino is a blessing for us here in Canada, who do not really love the snow and cold winter. El Nino gives us a moderate or even a snow-less winter! I love it! So. please El Nino, don't back out!
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
18 Oct 15
Yes, but we need the snow in northern California. It's where our drinking water comes from.
@troyburns (1405)
• New Zealand
16 Oct 15
Where do you stand on the global warming issue Elizabeth? Here's hoping your fall/winter doesn't bring too many extreme conditions.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
16 Oct 15
I have seen the changes in my lifetime. I have always been aware of weather and believe weather experts. We need to stop destroying our planet before she smacks us down too hard. I expect lots of rain and flooding in SoCal this year, but I am preparing for the possibiliy.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40054)
• Laguna Woods, California
16 Oct 15
We only got a few drops where I live, but those mud slides on the news were pretty awful!
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
16 Oct 15
Did you see the shot of the dark water beginning to fill up the dry riverbed? It is a warning to all of us of things to come. You and I should be fine, but that big road near you is really a river. I was stuck in my house for a few days when there was a big rain a few years ago (when I lived where you do) and the road was closed due to flooding.
