Rainy Los Angeles Is Great News, But.....

A rare rainy September day in Los Angeles.
Photo by Richard Vogel/AP  

Yesterday, Los Angeles got 2.39 inches of rain, it's second wettest September day on record.

This was a real bonus, because it doesn't normally rain much at all in southern California in September.

There have only been seven September days since the 1880s in L.A. with an inch or more of rain, notes Capital Weather Gang.

So, this helps with the epic drought, but only a little. The hope is this rain is a harbinger of an upcoming wet winter to help ease the drought. But it would take a LOT of precipitation to end the drought.  

Most of California needs two years worth of rain to end the drought. Good luck with that.

The heavy California rain this week is due to the remnants of Hurricane Linda, which spun off the coast of Mexico last week.

The rains, though welcome, brought tragedy. That moisture from Linda caused that horrible flash flood in Utah. The death toll is now up to 16 and four are still missing, says The Weather Channel. 

Twelve of the dead were in the small town of Hilldale, where their vehicles got swept off roads by flash floods. Four others died in the canyons of Zion National Park.

This will be a continued risk if El Nino gives California and nearby states a wet winter, as many are predicting. The rain will be welcome, but the bursts of heavy rain could lead to more flash floods, mudslides and other havoc during the winter.