Impact of a Storm

From city streets to the Sepulveda Basin to local utilities, the costs of a major storm add up quickly, including expenses such as overtime for municipal workers. For instance, about $10,000 was spent to rescue a horse from the Tujunga Wash.

The timing of a big storm can affect its ultimate impact.

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

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.

* An incident command post of five to 10 people is established when Sepulveda Dam reaches critical level. Such a post was set up Feb. 3 when the level reached 693 feet.

* After a flood, public works employees clean mud and debris from roadways before they are reopened.

* Other costs can mount. Replacing a traffic signal control tower that is knocked out each time the basin floods costs $6,000. The unit has been replaced at least eight times in the last 20 years.

Police response

Los Angeles Police Department officers can accumulate many hours of overtime during tactical alerts called in response to severe storms.

Freeways and 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

* Storm-related duties of Public Works Department cost more than $250,000

* The number of public works emergency trucks is increased from 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 costs

* Damage to coastal roads: $7.3 million (as of Feb. 18)

* Personnel: $1 million for week of Feb. 2

* Private contractors: $1.3 million for week of Feb. 2

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 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.

* 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.

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