After six long years, California has finally seen heavy rain storms on Sunday, January 22nd. The rainfall broke several records, being the strongest storm in California since 2010.

  The storm has helped diminish the drought in many parts of California, specifically North above Interstate 80, with an average of 23.5 inches of rainfall.

  The rain, despite being necessary across California, has caused issues in different areas. KTLA 5 reports, “Flash flood warnings had been sent out to areas such as the South Bay, L.A. Harbor, Long Beach, Anaheim, Santa Ana and Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.” In addition, freeways had to be shut down because of unsafe conditions, and residents living near burn areas had to evacuate their homes.

  When asked about the impact of the storm, Derek Morimoto (12) believes that we have to be cautious for our safety, saying, “Even though we live in Southern California, we have to be ready for the elements, because we never know what may happen.” Jinny Kim (11) recalls, “I was passing by a homeless person outside of this market, and before I offered her food, I could not help but wonder where she might have gone while it was pouring and had a possible chance of flood.”

  Even though the storm is not as strong in Southern California in comparison to Northern California, it has still has a big impact. On Sunday, the West High Campus faced flooding near the baseball field. The rain caused the hill below the field to collapse in on itself, due to the soft soil.

  With El Niño coming in 2017, forecasters are predicting even more rainfall. Make sure to drive safely, and be aware of any flash flood warnings.