The weather predictions are ominous. Scientists say the global weather pattern known as El Nino–which 15 years ago brought severe storms in Southern California–is back.
But this El Nino could be worse than the winter of 1982. Already, water temperatures in the Pacific along the equator have risen as much as 5 degrees Celsius above normal, ahead of the warming recorded in 1982.
“This isn’t your run-of-the-mill El Nino,” said Nick Graham, a climate research scientist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla. “What’s so different about this El Nino is that it’s so strong.”
While weather forecasters can’t predict with certainty whether El Nino will bring major rain and flooding, they say homeowners should prepare for the worst.
“El Nino isn’t something to panic about, but taking precautions is prudent,” Graham said. “It’s like having a flashlight and water around in case of an earthquake. It probably won’t be needed, but the chance that (heavier than usual rainfall) will happen is larger than it usually is.”
Patricia McNally, who moved to Thousand Oaks recently from a much soggier Maryland, doesn’t quite understand all the El Nino worry. Her pool-service man warned her that she should have her drains checked.
“He said we could get a torrential downpour for weeks,” McNally said. “I think maybe people are making more of it than there is, but I didn’t want to take any chances.”
Longtime Malibu resident Grant Adamson had his gardener clean out his backyard drains and gutters at his home. He also ordered 14 tons of sand for the RV park his family owns.
“You never know for sure what’s going to happen. Sometimes you can have a wet season where the rain is interspersed, other times you can have a very intense rain and you can have a lot of mud on your streets and around your home,” Adamson said. “So I just try to prepare. A little work now can save a lot of work later.”
Here are some ways to prepare for the rainy season:
– Clean rain gutters: During heavy rains, gutters shunt water from the roof away from the house. Without gutters, rainwater can accumulate around the house and damage the foundation or cause mud to splatter and stain stucco walls.
Homeowners should remove any tennis balls, pine needles and other muck from rain gutters. Running water from a garden hose through the gutter will allow you to check if it is clear. Otherwise, you can call a gutter-cleaning and installation service.
Keep in mind that it might be difficult to find an available gutter service. Rod Smith, owner of A-1 Rain Gutters in Glendale, said he has been besieged by frantic homeowners.
“We are turning people away,” Smith said. “We have more calls than we can possibly get to.”
– Clear the drains: To keep your backyard from becoming a swamp, make sure the drains that move rain water from your property to the storm gutters in the street are not clogged with grass clippings and other debris. Run water into the drains from a garden hose for about 15 minutes to check.
If the clogging is extensive, you can call a drain cleaning service.
Also, if you have a yard that has low-lying areas subject to puddling, consider buying a utility pump, said Richard McCombs, owner of Oaks Drain Service in Thousand Oaks.
Pumps run about $30 to $50 at home improvement centers and should transfer 1,300 gallons an hour.
– Check the roof: Roofers report they also have been inundated by homeowners needing repairs. If your roof is missing shingles or is made of 20- to 25-year-old wood shake or composite, or if you have water stains on ceilings from years past, you most likely need to have the roof repaired or replaced.
Keep in mind that complaints against roofers are common, said Ken Willis, president of the League of California Homeowners, a nonprofit consumer group in Ontario.
To avoid roofing scams, Willis advises checking the company’s record with the state licensing board; don’t hire someone who comes to your door unsolicited; and when you do hire a roofer, write a dual-party check made out to the contractor and the company from which the roofer buys materials to avoid being sued by material companies for reimbursement if the roofers do not pay.
If you’re not sure you need a new roof, get an impartial opinion from a qualified inspector
If your finances don’t permit a new roof, buy a heavy tarp that will cover the roof in case of rain. Home improvement stores also sell do-it-yourself roof-patching kits.
– Check into flood insurance: Most homeowners’ insurance policies do not cover damage from flooding, defined as rising water or mud flows. To determine if you’re in a flood-prone area check with the municipal public works department or city hall..
You can purchase insurance from the National Flood Insurance Program, part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency; call (800) 638-6620 for information or an application, or contact your insurer.
