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Hydrosphere Hazard: Precipitation and Rainfall

Precipitation and Rainfall in Los Angeles, California

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Caption
The maps were created using the National Geographic Map Maker. This particular map
shows the average precipitation/rainfall in the Los Angeles, California area. The legend shows
nine different shades of color with nine corresponding amount ranges of rainfall in millimeters.
The average precipitation/rainfall in the Los Angeles area is represented by the color yellow.
Throughout the Los Angeles area, the average precipitation/rainfall as shown in the map is 200400 millimeters per year.

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Precipitation and Rainfall in California

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Caption
In the inland areas of California, the average precipitation/rainfall falls from 200-400
millimeters per year to 100-200 millimeters per year. Risks of drought are higher in the inland
areas of California because of lower average precipitation/rainfall. Droughts in the inland areas
of California are detrimental to the farming industry, as crops receive less water in droughts.
Also, soil quality will go down in the event of a drought. According to the National Drought
Mitigation Center, droughts can lead to losses or destruction of fish and wildlife habitat, lack of
food and drinking water for wild animals, more wildfires, and poor soil quality. To combat the
drought, the National Drought Mitigation Center recommends turning off faucets while not in
use, installing low-flow toilets and showerheads, and installing new irrigation systems on farms
to allow more water to get to the plants and to reduce water loss due to evaporation. By saving
water, the state of California can combat the effects of drought.

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Precipitation and Rainfall in the United States

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Caption
In the United States, the majority of the coastal regions receive a significant amount of
rainfall. For example, in the East Coast, the average precipitation/rainfall is 1000-1500
millimeters per year. In the state of Washington and part of Oregon, the coasts can receive up to
2000-3000 millimeters of precipitation/rainfall per year. On the other hand, the amount of
precipitation/rainfall in inland areas range from 100-200 millimeters to 400-600 millimeters.
Because of the high precipitation coastal regions in the United States receive, the coastal regions
have a high potential for flooding. According to the University of Hawaii Assistant Professor
Ken Rubin, floods can disrupt normal drainage systems in cities and typically overwhelm sewer
systems. In floods, sewage spills can occur. In severe floods, destruction of buildings that can
contain a large array of toxic materials (paints, pesticides, gasoline, etc..) can cause the release of
these materials into the local environment (Rubin). To prevent the hazards of flooding, we
should safely dispose of hazardous waste. We should also secure toxic materials so that they do
not get displaced in the event of a flood.

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Works Cited
National Drought Mitigation Center. "Water Conservation." National Drought Mitigation Center.
University of Nebraska, 2016. Web. 21 Apr. 2016.
<http://drought.unl.edu/DroughtforKids/HowCanWeProtectOurselves/WaterConservation
.aspx>.
National Geographic. "NatGeo Mapmaker Interactive." NatGeo Mapmaker Interactive. National
Geographic, n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2016. <http://mapmaker.nationalgeographic.org/?
ls=000000000000#/>.
Rubin, Ken. "Environmental Effects of Floods." Environmental Effects of Floods. University of
Hawaii, n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2016. <https://www.soest.hawaii.edu/GG/ASK/floods.html>.