The potential for mudslides in the foothills above Glendora has not changed, officials said. What residents took away from the Colby Fire Town Hall Meetings on Tuesday was that little vegetation has grown in the months since the Colby Fire and previous rains and the phills could still give way, El Niño or not. While the situation in the foothills has not worsened, the situation has not improved. John Thornton, district ranger with the United States Department of Agricultures San Gabriel River Ranger District, said that only a four percent growth in a protective ground cover of Chapparal and other vegetation was recorded since February of 2014, increasing from 12 percent to a mere 16 percent. Such a ground cover is crucial for keeping soil anchored to the hillside and not sliding into streets and homes. The soils water repellency, a layer of hydrophobic materials generated by burning vegetation, has mostly remained, Thornton said, falling from 67 percent to 59 percent. The major rains earlier this year caused an erosion pattern that now makes it more efficient for water to come off. Its going to take even less rainfall to bring [the hillside] down into the community, Thornton said. Some stated many moths ago that an El Niño event occurring this winter would be on par with the storms of 1997 and 1998, current models now show a 60 percent to 65 percent likelihood of an El Niño event, said Mark Jackson, meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service in Oxnard. If the current trends continue, the area can expect a weaker El Niño, Jackson said. But that doesnt mean the hills would necessarily stand a lesser chance of sliding. We could have very intense rainfall outside of an El Niño year. These can occur at any time, Jackson said. Its imperative to remember that flooding can occur in anytime in any season and with back-to-back strong storms. In August the City Council approved the purchase of an additional 500 feet of k-rail on North Vista Bonita near Crestglen Avenue after the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works located an additional area that could be impacted by a two-feet deep mudflow, according to city staff reports. Dave Davies, director of Public Works for Glendora, said the LACDPW has possibly identified two other vulnerable areas. A main component of Tuesdays meetings heavily emphasized the need for residents to take personal responsibility when it comes to protecting their lives and homes in the event of mudslides and debris flows. Attendees were provided packets and many flyers with information on safeguarding their homes in the event of a mudslide and were provided ways to sign up for emergency notifications with Glendora Police. Sandbags will be offered again through the city of Glendora. Residents who have already used sandbags during the February and March storms should be storing them out of sunlight to prolong their usefulness, officials said. Residents can also install timber barriers in their driveways to supplement the k-rail barriers used on public streets. While timber barriers and sandbags provide ways to keep mud and debris out of private property, they are temporary measures and that homeowners should consider hiring a licensed professional for more permanent measures, said Pat Wood, senior civil engineer with the LACDPW. For more information on how to protect your homes in the event of a flood, forest fire, how to protect your loved ones (including pets) and to sign up for emergency notifications, visit the citys Colby Fire Impact Area information page at the link below: bit.ly/1vz5wb4 —Aaron C.
Posted on: Fri, 03 Oct 2014 03:46:23 +0000
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