The cumulative effect of repeated Pacific storms – or one particularly wet, long-lived storm – can trigger rockslides that block major roads, such as the Pacific Coast Highway, or claim expensive hillside homes. If you've seen coverage of a strong California storm, you've probably seen video of a home either teetering or tumbling down a hillside. It isn't just burn scars that can experience landslides. 13, 2017 in the Hollywood Hills after its concrete patio was washed away in a mudslide caused by heavy rains in Hollywood, California. Lacking vegetation, nothing remains to hold the soil in place, and a flow of debris – including mud, rocks and tree stumps – rushes downhill, taking out anything in its path, including homes and roads.ĭebris flows can occur with relatively light rain rates and can be a threat for years until the slope's vegetation recovers.Ī home sits on the edge of a cliff Jan.
"Those slopes can’t handle a deluge."Ī burn scar's top layer of soil acts like pavement, which keeps rain from soaking into the ground. "After years of drought and wildfires, the vegetation has been stripped away along many slopes," said Crystal Egger, a Southern California-based meteorologist. Long after a wildfire is out, the charred, barren strip of land left behind is very susceptible to flooding. There is no bigger friend to firefighters than a steady, soaking rain.
While wildfires can occur in California virtually any time of year, early fall is typically the peak in Southern California, particularly when Santa Ana winds howl through canyons and passes with vegetation dried out from months without rain. Once that first decent rain arrives after the dry season, it can be a huge blessing in one regard. A wildfire burns in the Hollywood Hills on Jin Los Angeles, California.
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