
This week's storm, the first major rainfall of the 2025-26 season, dropped roughly 3 inches of rain in Los Angeles County, adding more than 700 million gallons to local water supplies, officials announced Thursday.
Want to get caught up on what's happening in SoCal every weekday afternoon? Click to follow The L.A. Local wherever you get podcasts.
The storm began late Monday night with rain intensifying into the following morning and later slowed in the evening. Rain collected during Tuesday's storm was enough to supply 18,400 people for a full year and brought the total amount collected since Oct. 1 to a billion gallons, according to Los Angeles County Public Works.
The majority of stormwater was captured behind the region's 14 major dams, which will be held and later distributed among the county's 27 spreading ground facilities to recharge local groundwater aquifers.
County officials patrolled and monitored the rainfall to ensure a prompt response for any potential storm damages, particularly in fire-impacted areas such as Pacific Palisades and Altadena. No major issues were reported in L.A. County's burn scar areas, although homeowners and local agencies were prepared, according to Public Works.
The county's flood control system consists of 491 miles of open channel, 3,400 miles of underground storm drain, 97,466 catch basins and 189 debris basins, among other facilities.
While the National Weather Service forecasted dry weather for the next few weeks, county officials encouraged residents to take the following steps to prepare for future storms:
-- Visit READY.LACounty.gov for storm tips, free sandbag distribution locations, and to sign up for automatic emergency alerts;
-- Know your property's risk factors, clear drainage paths and use sandbags to direct runoff and protect structures;
-- Stay tuned to local weather reports and follow instructions of law enforcement if told to evacuate; and
-- Call the LA County Public Works 24-hour Dispatch Center to report storm-related damage, traffic signal outages, flooding or other concerns at 1- 800-675-HELP (4357).
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM