El Niño storm brings rain, little damage

More rain is expected this week after El Niño-influenced weather caused inconveniences for scores of students walking to class last week.

The UCLA campus received 5.59 inches of rain, said James Murakami, staff meteorologist for the UCLA Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. This brought the total rainfall for the month to 5.76 inches, slightly above the January average of 4.09 inches.

The storm created only minor problems and no significant damage to the campus, despite the early fear of heavy rain and tornadoes in the Southern California area.

“We had probably close to 180 trouble (calls) throughout campus affecting almost every single building,” said Leroy Sisneros, director of maintenance and alteration for UCLA Facilities Management.

With roof leaks, clogged gutters and drains, water penetration into buildings, and damaged walls, Facilities Management was active over the weekend making small fixes around campus.

No problems were experienced at campus construction sites, which include the life sciences replacement building and the housing construction on the Hill, Sisneros said.

Facilities Management expects to be busy throughout this week, with more rainfall predicted at the low latitude west-to-east jet stream caused by the El Niño.

The El Niño season is characterized by an increase in ocean surface pressure that occurs in roughly five-year cycles. El Niños carry moist air throughout California.

“We’re expecting some rain tomorrow … (and) there is a chance for a little weak system to come in Saturday,” Murakami said. “This is a moderate strength El Niño, so it correlates well with bad weather in Southern California.”

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