SHORT RAIN: We’ve had fires and earthquakes,...

SHORT RAIN: We’ve had fires and earthquakes, but very little rain this season. So far, the totals (above) fall sharply below the last two years. From July 1, 1993, through Jan. 31, the amount of rain in the three Valley communities gauged by WeatherData--Burbank, Woodland Hills and Van Nuys--stands at only about 10% of the rainfall for the same period in 1992-93.

LOSING WAYS: With all of the school’s hoop troubles this season (3-14), there was hope the Cal State Northridge Matadors would turn things around on the baseball diamond. Not yet, at least. The Matadors lost their season opener Friday, 9-8, at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.. . . But there’s always the next game. “Write this down, I’ll never give up nine runs again,” said CSUN losing pitcher Marco Contreras. (C12)

TAX BREAK: The quake hit you pretty hard, but as a member of the middle class, you don’t qualify for federal relief. What’s a taxpayer to do? Pay much less, says one politician. . . . U.S. Rep. Howard L. Berman (D-Panorama City) will introduce legislation Monday to let quake victims deduct all of their disaster losses from their federal income taxes.

MOVING MOUNTAIN: Oat Mountain in the Santa Susana range just north of the Valley can’t quite make up its mind where to settle down. First, the Jan. 17 temblor moved the 3,618-foot-high mountain 6.2 inches to the north and 5.5 inches west.. . . Then, after the 5.0 aftershock on Jan. 29, it reversed course and moved an inch back to the south.

STOCK SLIDE: The Fed raised short-term interest rates Friday for the first time in five years. That meant trouble for the stocks of many companies, including some based in the Valley or which have big local operations here. ITT Corp. and Walt Disney each lost about $2 a share; Great Western, a buck.. . . The market fell about 96 points, and new rates will affect consumers as well as investors. (A1, D1)

Stormy Weather

Valley rainfall totals, in inches, for the period from July 1, 1993 to Jan. 31:

Woodland Hills:

1991-1992: 8.2

1992-1993: 21.0

1993-1994: 2.3

Van Nuys:

1991-1992: 8.9

1992-1993: 20.9

1993-1994: 2.2

Burbank:

1991-1992: 7.4

1992-1993: 19.4

1993-1994: 2.1

Source: WeatherData, Inc.