Sen. Sharon Runner

On Thursday, Oct. 15, a severe thunderstorm hit Northern Los Angeles County resulting in flooding and catastrophic mudslides that caused significant property damage, closed down major roadways and trapped people in their vehicles.

Many roads in Los Angeles County were buried under six feet of mud, and the 5 Freeway just north of Santa Clarita was completely shut down in both directions. The mudslides also damaged a portion of the California aqueduct that brings water from Northern California and caused substantial damage to multiple water treatment plants.

Officials tell us that thanks to El Niño we could be in for a wet winter, meaning this could be the first of many storms to hit Southern California. In fact, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts the current El Niño in the Pacific Ocean has a 95-percent chance of continuing through winter.

It is important for local, state and federal agencies to prepare for mudslides and flooding and have plans in place to mitigate the damage future storms could cause. Keeping our neighborhoods safe and protected is top priority.

However, there is another aspect of El Niño we need to prepare for — capturing the rainfall to help alleviate our current drought.

California is in the fourth year of a catastrophic drought, currently experiencing the driest years on record since 1895. We are not in a position to let even one drop of water go to waste.

In 2014, Governor Brown declared a State of Emergency due to the drought stating, “We can’t make it rain, but we can be much better prepared for the terrible consequences that California’s drought now threatens.” Governor Brown is right, we can’t make it rain. But, we can take steps to make sure our state is in the best possible position to use whatever water comes our way.

I recently joined my fellow Legislative Republicans to engage Governor Brown and President Obama on this very issue. [Our letter] requested information about what federal and state agencies plan to do to capture El Niño rainfall for our use.

I am looking forward to hearing their answers as well as continuing to work towards a long term solution to California’s water needs.

Unfortunately, our state’s environmental policies often get our priorities mixed up. For years my fellow Republicans and I have called for investment in more long term water storage. We need to increase water storage to provide California with long term, reliable water sources. Without adequate water storage, we cannot take advantage of the good years when rain is plentiful.

One season of increased rainfall will not end the drought, but, if handled correctly, it could certainly provide some much needed relief.

Sharon Runner represents most of the Santa Clarita Valley as well as the Antelope and Victor valleys in the state Senate.