Just this week alone witnessed a nearly unprecedented deluge of rain. In a series of heavy showers, Los Angeles County shattered previous records in rainfall, affecting multiple counties, causing electrical outages, and prompting urgent responses throughout California.

The worst of torrents occurred during Feb. 4 to 5, with over 11 inches of rain sweeping the streets of more than seven SoCal counties: among the affected were San Bernardino, Orange, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, San Clemente, San Diego, San Francisco, Ventura, and San José. 

These levels of rain have not been seen since Aug. 20 of last year, when the National Weather Service (NWS) last issued flash flood warnings throughout LA County under similar circumstances. This time, not just one warning was issued via text message, but three. The triple warning through text alone underscores the heightened severity of this week’s storms. 

According to the NWS, almost “half of the average seasonal rainfall of Los Angeles has fallen in [those] two days” alone, and over 75% in the month of February.

With the recent showers, unmatched levels of infrastructural damage have occurred as well. 

According to PowerOutage.us, a US weather data-aggregation site that tracks over 850 utilities nationwide, the torrential storms have displaced over 700,000 people in regards to electrical accessibility. 

In addition, LA County was subject to hundreds of mudslides, flash floods, and the uprooting of countless trees that have already amassed two civilian deaths. San Bernardino County (SBC) Fire Department worked to rescue three stranded individuals who’d climbed onto trees in an effort to escape the worst of flooding, though the battering conditions warranted medical evaluations for hypothermia.

There lies, however, a thin silver lining to recent meteorological events. The severe drought that has battered California reservoirs for months on end is finally seeing a rise in repletion. It is worth mentioning that the state’s reservoir systems alone cannot uphold the surge in water though. Residents of affected areas must actively work in tandem with government officials to ensure the safety and proper management of their communities and water supply.

California is actively working to resolve the crisis of reservoir overflow, and its specialty in doing so should not be underestimated. It isn’t just the state government that’s already specialized with rain measures; the residents, too, are well-equipped and all too familiar with the volatile state of California’s weather. New methods are resolving to direct the overwhelming influx of precipitation into depleted aquifers and reservoirs, both of which may direct much-needed water to disparate localities in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

With the advent of newer, more violent rainstorms, scientists raise questions of the increasingly destructive effects of climate change. The unpredictable nature of this phenomenon has chafed at the scientific community for countless years now; the consequent February storm is sure to serve as the basis for future discussions.

For now, however, residents of Southern California can look forward to sunny weather. Starting Feb. 9, the final dregs of rainy weather are evaporating into the air. The lingering scent of rain in that air, however, is sure to leave its mark on afflicted individuals and cities for the next few weeks as they attempt to recover.