Everyone hates potholes. One Calif. city thinks it has a permanent solution.

Rains and climate change are wreaking havoc

SF Gate

By Paula Mejía,Contributing LA Culture Editor Aug 22, 2024

It’s become something of a meme that, when it starts pouring outside, an area dad quips, “We needed this rain.” The rain can often be a boon for California, a state sometimes stricken by multiyear droughts, but it can also catalyze a slew of more localized issues, including landslides, floods, power outages, debris and fallen trees. 

One problem exacerbated by rainfall, though, stubbornly persists long after the immediate issues have dried out: potholes. And cities that experience a season of heavy rains, like Long Beach, can often bear the brunt of these irritating crevices in the road. 

Everyone hates potholes. They are a scourge for cars, an eyesore in any neighborhood and an indication of a city’s larger infrastructure issues, all wrapped up in one displeasing package. In Long Beach, potholes got exponentially worse after this past winter’s historic rainfall levels and storms throttled the state. In early February, Los Angeles in particular saw half its annual rainfall happen in just three days. According to NBC Los Angeles, Eric Lopez, the Director of Public Works, told city council that for the season, 23 inches of rain fell in Long Beach.

View the full article: SFGate.com