Editorial: Safe after the storms

Laguna Beach dodged a bullet in the series of back-to-back thunderstorms that raced through South Orange County last week.

Other surrounding cities were directly in the path of several possible tornadoes or water spouts that ripped through, leaving a path of destruction.

In Laguna, one roof was reported partially torn off, and mud was reported seeping into a home on Panorama Drive in North Laguna and also in Temple Hills. Some large eucalypti were felled, and there were lots of branches either tossed to the ground or about to fall. Large boulders were reported falling from hilltops onto residential properties.

News of a tornado warning sent visitors scurrying from downtown during the height of the storm, and a school was evacuated after Laguna Canyon creek filled up and threatened to overflow a bridge. One person was rescued from a vehicle swept off El Toro Road during an intense downpour.

Perhaps the most serious event was the rock- and mudslide that covered a lane and a half on Laguna Canyon Road near the entrance to the city. This was in an area where extreme precautions have already been put in place by the California Department of Transportation in the form of a large swath of mesh fencing covering the entire hillside.

But despite the rock falls, mud and debris flows, and flooding, no one was hurt, and police and fire officials are breathing a sigh of relief.

The good news is that rainfall amounting to 4.17 inches was recorded at City Hall this month, most of which was no doubt due to the storm series.

By happy coincidence, both of the city’s water districts were asking water users to refrain from outdoor watering last week, and the over-saturated ground no doubt deterred most folks from getting out the hose or turning on the sprinklers even if they didn’t know about the request.

The down side is that it is not unusual for severe damage to occur many months following a long spate of rain. The June 2005 Bluebird Canyon landslide happened some six months after a very wet winter; the slide occurred 100 feet below ground and caused one side of the canyon to slump.

Laguna’s hilly areas aren’t out of the woods yet. But the hills are green, the air is clear, and the sun is shining. So enjoy!