Major flood would hit Los Angeles Black communities disproportionately hard, study finds
(KABC) — A massive surge of water released by a recently widened Los Angeles River could leave the entire city at risk of being flooded, say a group of scientists and engineers. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, examined the potential damage from such a flood in the densely populated city of Los Angeles. The researchers concluded that the risk of a flood would be greatest in low-lying areas and near urban areas. One of the main findings of the study is that low-lying areas would not be fully protected from the extreme high tides that would result from a flood, and could be flooded during the time they’re at maximum risk. “This is the only way I can explain the damage that could be experienced in Los Angeles,” said researcher John R. Lillis, chief scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and a co-author of the study. “There are only a small number of people in Los Angeles, so any small amount of water will flood their homes.” To calculate which areas are most prone to flooding, an analysis of the Los Angeles River was conducted. Researchers took into account the water’s velocity, the amount of sediment in the river and flood elevation. They determined that the flood of record occurred in 1954 when the river reached its current depth of 13 ft. above sea level, which was the highest record ever for the entire river, Lillis said. The study revealed that most communities in low-lying areas of Los Angeles are most at risk of flooding, because the river can raise them up to three feet above their original level, he said. A high-resolution map showed that there are relatively large areas of the city where a flood of this magnitude could occur. “The areas where the rivers flood are concentrated are generally in low-lying areas of the city, near urban areas,” he said. Many of these people live on the river’s edge and could be exposed to “excessive tidal inundation,” according to the research. Lillis said the most vulnerable populations to flooding would be those who aren’t able to evacuate. Those who can’t leave their homes in the event of an emergency are likely to be at risk of flooding. “People who live near the river may only be able to relocate temporarily, so this area will be at risk for a very long time,” he said. The study used the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s model for tsunami protection as a reference in order to measure the