We slept to the pitter-patter of raindrops last night and early this morning, such a peaceful sound. The air feels cleaner; the streets washed clean. My garden is thriving after such a slow soaking rain. It’s as if the whole city has been run through an automatic car wash, with all the dirt and grime disappearing down the drain.
Others were not so fortunate with the rain. A senior community north of here had ten homes red-tagged after a massive rock and mudslide filled their back yards with debris all the way up to their roof lines. Luckily, no one was hurt. At the LA River, a homeless couple was swept away by the floodwaters, only to be rescued by the LA Fire Department as the campers clung to trees. The LA River is usually bone-dry. There was even evidence of a small tornado in the middle of South LA, where a resident videotaped the wind filled with flying roof tiles and other debris. Trees were down, cars and fences crushed. One woman said, “All I knew to do was pray.”
The storm has moved on east now and we are left with clear skies. We have more rain forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday.
Despite the harm done, the benefits of rain far outweigh the consequences. We are adding to our state’s water supply, which is far below average at the moment. We are watering our lawns and crops. And we are reminding ourselves of the restorative power of precipitation.
I will return to my bed tonight with the memory of rain still in my consciousness. Those rain memories will lull me to sleep.
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