Southern California Experiences Severe Weather

 

JIMMY NGO Staff Editor

Recently in Southern California it has been pouring rain for weeks, leading to some flooding from the blocking of storm drains. “The weather in California has been very surprising, with the rain and the cold weather we are experiencing,” senior Violet Estrada said. “This could be because of climate change and could have consequences on the Earth.” The flooding is mainly due to litter and debris thrown or washed up into storm drains.

Some of the debris even travels down into the ocean unfiltered. The environmental damage that is caused by the debris can cause harm to animals and the ecosystem. Some of it sinks into the water, leading to poor quality water and making ocean water harder to clean. Other forms of debris float on the surface causing more damage. Due to this, several beaches advice for people not to swim or stay in the water due to pollution.

Marine life can also be harmed as some animals may eat it and choke or even to die. There are volunteer groups that try to prevent or clean up the damage, but because there is extensive waste, more cleanup work is needed. Save Our Beach is one such group which wants to come up with a long term plan to help stop the pollution. The tax parcel has to pay roughly about $300 million a year to help fund projects to collect and clean the water. The stormwater also affects businesses, as they have around a month to prepare for stormwater regulations.