Army Engineers Warn Orange County Residents of Flood Peril

Is the current drought the right time to prepare for a flood?

Dee Gonzales and Ben Colamarino both say it’s better to get ready now, instead of waiting until your feet get wet.

Gonzales is project manager for the Santa Ana River MainstemProject of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

His concern is that a repeat of the 1938 Orange County flood could cause major damage in such cities as Yorba Linda, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, Huntington Beach and Seal Beach.

Gonzales said these cities have been built on a historical flood plain, and hydrologists--scientists who study such matters--cannot predict when another major flood will occur because so many weather conditions are involved. However, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers goes on the assumption that one could occur anytime.

Gonzales warns that present flood control facilities would not be sufficient to contain a major flood, and that water could average 3 feet high. He adds that improvements to flood control facilities, when they are funded, could take about 12 years to build.

Colamarino, a coordinator of the Orange County emergency management program, says that floods, including desert flash floods, have caused more damage in Southern California than have earthquakes.

If you’re in a flood-prone area, he suggests you take such precautions as storing sandbags, plastic sheeting for hillsides, food that doesn’t require cooking or refrigeration and drinking water.

He also suggested having portable radios and flashlights with fresh batteries available and to keep auto gas tanks filled because in an emergency, electricity may be shut off and service station gas pumps may not function.