The Barnes Firm

Preparing for Weather – Whatever it May Be

• December 8, 2015
• Sandy

LOS ANGELES – If you live in the northeast or on the Pacific coast, you could be in for a shocking surprise this month. Folks in the northeast could experience record snowfall (the lack of snow) – places like Buffalo and Rochester haven’t measured a trace of snow so far this season and if the dry spell continues, records dating back to the 1800’s could be shattered.

In the southwest, it’s a different story – all due to El Niño.

Cooler temperatures and heavy rainfall is in the forecast and this winter weather could make roads extremely hazardous.

A Los Angeles car accident lawyer at The Barnes Firm says sudden, powerful storms could be a very dangerous and real problem this winter.

“We’ve experienced a long drought in the areas around Los Angeles,” car accident attorney John Sheehan said. “Heavy rainfall won’t just be difficult for drivers – it can destroy roads and foundations that were built on dry ground.”

When a storm struck Southern California in October, all it took was a mattress to flood Los Angeles neighborhoods. The thrown-out mattress blocked an inlet to a catch basin for flood waters – and the water rose into nearby neighborhoods. The flood water damaged homes, roads and several vehicles.

The rain also caused hundreds of car accidents. Attorneys say if one storm could cause this much chaos, a more powerful storm could be deadly.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a mattress or a trash bag – one object could flood an intersection,” Sheehan said. “Even just a little water on the roadway can cause vehicles to hydroplane so there’s a very real risk of dangerous accidents if another storm blows through.”

According to the Times, city department heads are now considering a new tactic after the first round of storms: they may suspend trash pickups.

The service changes would affect parts of Los Angeles that could see the heaviest flooding.

“We’re trying something different,” Adel H. Hagekhalil, assistant director of the Bureau of Sanitation, told the City Council earlier this week.

Department heads said that when people take their trash cans out to the curb, the containers can sometimes block storm drains, increasing the risk of flooding in the event of a downpour. Just a small amount of rain could even knock these containers over, sending the bin (or its contents) down the street.

“It’s dangerous enough to be driving during a heavy downpour,” Sheehan said. “If there’s trash on the road, some drivers may swerve to avoid it and that can cause a serious accident.”

Hagekhalil proposed “potentially suspending trash service in certain areas of the city if we anticipate there is a heavy downpour happening.”

“It doesn’t matter how clean the catch basin is if something is going to float down and block that storm drain,” he said.

Los Angeles car accident lawyers say whether it’s snow, rain or a clear day, it’s important to drive at a safe speed and use safe driving practices to avoid a collision – and an injury.

The Barnes Firm 1-(800) 800-0000