California is no stranger to extreme weather. From droughts to flooding, severe storms, heat waves, and more, the state has seen it all before. However, with the effects of climate change more significant than ever before, the Golden State can’t seem to catch a break.
Most recently, excessive rain has caused landslides throughout Southern California, and several homes have either been completely demolished or are on the brink of collapse.
Storms in Southern California Are Out of Control
Wild rain storms have been hitting Southern California relentlessly for months. In February, the state saw an almost unbelievable 12.7 inches of rainfall, making it the fourth wettest February since 1878.
Dr. Park Williams calculated that the UCLA campus got hit with over 1.1 billion pounds of water during one particularly brutal two-day storm, meaning the state has been completely inundated with billions of pounds over the past few weeks.
Flooding Has Become a Serious Safety Concern
This immense influx of water has, of course, led to extreme flooding. Hundreds of homes, roadways, and cars have been completely destroyed by several feet of water.
At this point, the rain isn’t just frustrating; it’s actually become more of a natural disaster. So far, state officials have reported nine deaths during and after the horrific storms last month.
Problems Hiding Below the Surface
After any storm, the flood waters eventually dissipate. However, that water doesn’t just disappear. It seeps into the ground below, and that water can be just as dangerous below ground as it is above.
Since the extreme rainfall last month, the soil below Southern California has become completely saturated with water, causing massive landslides and erosions throughout the entire region.
Entire Homes Have Fallen to Pieces
Sherman Oaks, just 12 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, was the most recent neighborhood to see the effects of the torrential rain.
Just before 3:00 AM on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, a giant landfall hit the upper-class neighborhood, and while there were no deaths, a couple of homes didn’t make it. One is on the brink of collapse.
More Than a Dozen Houses Are Now Uninhabitable
Since the landslide, local authorities have “red-tagged” 16 homes as unsafe for access and 30 that can be inhabited but should be closely monitored – and they’re not even done with their assessments.
The Los Angeles Fire Department has been hard at work, visiting every home in the neighborhood, assessing the damage, and informing homeowners whether or not they can safely stay on their property.
Two Homes Have Been Reduced to Rubble
Drone footage from over Sherman Oaks shows two houses that were absolutely annihilated by the landslide.
After some investigating, it became clear that both of the destroyed houses were under renovation, so luckily, no one was sleeping inside when the disaster struck.
The Pool of a Third House Almost Fell Into the Earth
Another Sherman Oaks mansion remained intact, but the earth completely fell away under the pool.
If the LA Fire Department hadn’t arrived immediately and drained the pool, it would have fallen off the cliff left behind by the landslide in no time at all.
Sherman Oaks Isn’t the Only California Town in Trouble
While Sherman Oaks is making headlines this week, it’s not the only California town that has suffered from the storms.
In early February, three homes in Dana Point in southern Orange County were essentially hanging in thin air after a landslide washed away the ground below them. Sadly, three people died during that landslide, and hundreds had to be evacuated from their homes.
Cliffside Homes Are Particularly Susceptible, But No One Is Completely Safe
Coastal California homes have always been especially susceptible to landslides and erosion simply because of their precarious placement on rocky cliffs.
However, the disaster in Sherman Oaks has proved that no California town is completely safe, especially if it continues to rain as it has for the past few months.
Why Is California Getting So Much Rain?
Everyone knows that the weather is quite fickle. Some winters bring more snow than others, sometimes autumn feels especially brisk, and there are summers where the sun barely comes out at all.
However, there is sufficient scientific evidence to prove that the excessive rain in California isn’t just a fluke but a result of the increasingly obvious effects of climate change on our planet.
Is There Anything to Be Done to Protect California Homes?
While the government tirelessly works to reverse the effects of climate change, the weather in California will likely get worse before it gets better.
In the meantime, Californians are at a loss, as there is almost nothing that can be done ahead of time to prevent these kinds of disasters. Experts are working to perfect building techniques that could save future homes from disintegrating during a landslide, but very few of the millions of homes in California will be able to withstand another similar disaster.
