Impact of a Storm

From city streets to the Sepulveda Basin to local malls, a major storm has an impact on nearly everything we encounter. Most of the time, that impact is negative, with added overtime and expenses. For instance, about $10,000 was spent last week to rescue a horse from Tujunga Wash.

The timing of a big storm can determine what kind of impact it will have.

“It’s not so much the amount of rain, it’s when the rain occurs. Two inches that falls quickly won’t have the same impact as 2 inches of rain that falls over several hours,” said James Gagne, spokesman for Strategic Weather Services in Wayne, Pa., which helps retailers plan for various weather patterns.

Here’s a look at some of the ways, obvious and not so obvious, in which a major storm affects the public and private sectors:

Sepulveda Basin

Here’s what happens when the water level reaches 680 feet above sea level:

* Roads leading into the basin are closed, which requires work by city employees and police.

* Incident commmand post, consisting of five to 10 people, is established when Sepulveda Dam reaches critical level. Post was set up Feb. 3 when level reached 693 feet.

* After the water recedes, city public works employees clean mud and debris from roadways before they are reopened.

* Cost of replacing a traffic signal control tower knocked out each time the basin floods: $6,000. Unit has been replaced at least eight times in the last 20 years.

Police response

Los Angeles Police Department

* Valley bureau racked up 110 hours of overtime for a one-hour tactical alert Feb. 3. At an average of $42 per hour per officer, the alert cost $18,480 in overtime citywide.

Freeways/county roads

* Traffic accidents on freeways and roads patrolled by the California Highway Patrol can increase up to fivefold during heavy rain.

* During a particularly rainy period, from Feb. 3 to Feb. 7, the Woodland Hills CHP office used 147 hours of overtime at $46 per hour (total: $6,762).

City streets

* Preparation and response during and after storms by city’s Public Works Department: more than $250,000

* City’s public works emergency trucks are increased from the usual four to eight during a storm.

* Requests for pothole repair can triple after a major storm.

Roadside assistance

* Road-service calls to the Automobile Club of Southern California increase an average of 66% on days with heavy rain.

Caltrans

* Coastal roads: $7.3 million (as of Feb. 18)

* Personnel costs: $1 million (week of Feb. 2 only)

* Private contractors: $1.3 million (wek of Feb. 2 only)

Swift-water rescue

Los Angeles Fire Department.

* Cost of training, equipment and maintenance per person: $3,757.

* Total annual cost for 48 members: $180,336.

* Cost for actual deployment of four six-person rescue teams and one coordinator for 12 hours: $9,372.

* Cost for deployment of one four-person helicopter crew for 12 hours: $1,637.

Los Angeles County Fire Department

* Overtime staffing costs for 21-person team since July 1997: $190,000.

* Training costs since July 1997: $67,200.

* Cost to buy and maintain equipment used by team: $40,000.

Water and electricity

* On Feb. 3, a day with heavy rain, more than 6,100 trouble calls were logged by the Department of Water and Power’s electrical-trouble staff, compared with 300 calls per day normally.

* During normal conditions, about 150 workers are in the field handling calls of electrical trouble. In severe weather conditions, about 250 to 300 employees work 16-hour shifts.

Impact on local malls

* At Topanga Plaza in Canoga Park during a rainy week that began Feb. 2, 7.8% more people visited the mall than during the same week last year. (Counts were taken at the mall’s four entrances and exits, not including department stores.)

* On Valentine’s Day this year, 52,500 people went to Topanga Plaza, compared with 48,888 counted on Valentine’s Day 1997.

* At Sherman Oaks Fashion Square, sales are down 35% to 50% on rainy days.

Sources: Los Angeles Police Department, California Highway Patrol, Automobile Club of Southern California, Department of Water and Power, Los Angeles Department of Public Works, Los Angeles Fire Department, Caltrans, Topanga Plaza, Sherman Oaks Fashion Square, staff reports. Researched by STEPHANIE STASSEL/Los Angeles Times