To the editor: We were among nine homes on Lockridge Road in Studio City that were evacuated Sunday night. Although we knew we would be fine, for a few hours we lost the feeling of being climate refugees. (“Monster Los Angeles storm was even worse in some areas than alarming forecasts,” February 7)
We cannot praise our fire and police departments enough for their professionalism and kindness towards us. They managed the evacuation very efficiently. The Street Services Office also cleared mud and stones from the street within hours.
Now we are back at our house, but we are looking at the hill behind us. We are aware that even with a respite from the rain, soggy ground can still move.
For the 32 years we have lived here, our main concern has been fire. We have never faced flooding or mud before, and this storm is just the beginning.
It is time for our nation and the world to face the reality of climate change.
Lynette Berg Robe, Studio City
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To the editor: As I watched the rain fall for days outside my window in Southern California, I couldn't help but think about the damage left behind by storms like these. In just a few days, we received almost a typical year's amount of rain. Floods, landslides and rockfalls have caused much devastation.
News articles use terms like “atmospheric rivers,” “bomb cyclones,” and “centennial storms,” but they basically all mean that these events are more severe. They are also more frequent and the storm may have caused $11 billion in damage.
Later in the year, we may have to worry about wildfires wreaking more havoc.
We need to take serious action to mitigate the effects caused by our changing climate. We can reduce our use of fossil fuels and reduce our carbon footprint without sacrificing modern conveniences. Inaction is too costly.
Jonathan Luz, Laguna Niguel
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To the editor: As this article points out, weather forecasts have improved a lot lately. I saw forecast models predicting the storm would stall over Los Angeles several days before it arrived; in fact, even before the storm had developed.
The power and precision of these models have become impressive. Perhaps we should all take seriously the climate change predictions made by very similar models.
John La Grange, Solana Beach
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To the editor: I promise I will never complain about the lack of rain in Southern California again. Honest!
Jay James, Pico Rivera
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To the editor: I would like to thank the maintainers: the anonymous men and women of our Los Angeles Department of Water and Power who work around the clock to keep our electricity flowing.
Thomas Bliss, Los Angeles
