Atmospheric River Drenches Santa Monica: How Many Inches Fell?

SANTA MONICA, CA — The first of two atmospheric rivers pummeled Santa Monica this week, causing chaos on roadways and straining utility systems.

Santa Monica saw nearly nonstop rain Wednesday night into Thursday and will likely see much more as the stronger of the two storms prepares to hit Los Angeles County on Sunday. Santa Monica got a total of 1.59 inches of rain according to LA Public Works.

So far this season, Santa Monica has gotten a total of 7.4 inches of precipitation beginning on Oct. 1 according to Public Works.

Most of LA County’s coastline saw between two and three inches of rain over the last three days. The San Fernando Valley saw between one to two inches of rain while downtown LA saw about 1.5 inches.

Lechuza Beach in the Santa Monica Mountains logged the most amount of rainfall in the last three days according to NWS with 3.72 inches falling.

L.A. roadways experienced heavy flooding during the downpour, with waters flooding into Interstate 710 and Pacific Coast Highway trapping drivers in a few feet of water.

Following the downpour, Los Angeles County beaches were put under a health advisory as high levels of bacteria are expected for at least 72 hours after significant rainfall.

“Bacteria levels can increase significantly during and after rainstorms, as contaminants within the runoff enters the ocean,” according to the LA County Department of Public Health. “Elevated bacteria levels in ocean water may cause illness, especially in children and the elderly.”