Los Angeles adapts to heavy storms by becoming a 'sponge city'

A supercharged February storm brought record rainfall to Los Angeles, testing and validating new infrastructure designed to absorb water and prevent catastrophic flooding.

Jonathan Thompson reports for High Country News.

In short:

• Los Angeles received up to 10 inches of rain in one day, overwhelming typical city infrastructure.
• The city captured over 8 billion gallons of stormwater, thanks to retrofitting efforts aimed at making the landscape more absorbent.
• These measures help reduce flood risks and keep pollutants out of the ocean by absorbing water into the ground.

Why this matters:

As climate change intensifies storms, cities must adapt by integrating green infrastructure to manage water more effectively and mitigate flood risks.

Read more:

• Los Angeles demonstrates the effectiveness of sponge city infrastructure
• Op-ed: Embracing rainwater through green infrastructure
• Capturing and reusing urban storm water could be a boon for water-stressed cities—if we can find a way to clean it up