Kristen's Classroom: From fire to flood
AUSTIN (KXAN) – Southern California has been at the forefront of the news recently due to devastating and destructive wildfires. With thousands of homes destroyed, more than 25 people dead, and early damage estimates in the billions, it's hard to imagine the situation getting worse. But unfortunately, it can.
Wildfires leave behind burn scars, or areas of land stripped of any structures, vegetation, and topsoil. Unfortunately, this now barren land can leave an area susceptible to flooding in the event of heavy rain as there is no vegetation to help absorb the water and hold the ground in place. The result? Debris flows and mudslides.
Defined by the National Weather Service, a debris flow is a 'fast-moving, deadly landslide, [comprised of] a powerful mixture of mud, rocks, boulders, entire trees, and sometimes, homes or vehicles.' Debris flows can often occur during heavy rain events in a burn scar area. It's the high rainfall intensity that can trigger these flows, even if the overall rainfall total is low.
Unfortunately, debris flows are fast and unpredictable. There is no way to tell exactly when and where a debris flow will occur.
A mud flow is similar to a debris flow in that it is a large volume of water and soil carried downslope, typically in canyons and ravines. But the size of the sediment is usually what differentiates a mud flow from a debris flow – a mud flow typically containing smaller sized rocks (sand grains or smaller) and a debris flow characterized by larger sized sediment (stones and boulders).
Rockfalls feature rocks and stones falling from a steep slope or cliff. A more umbrella term would be a landslide, or the movement of rock, soil, sand, vegetation, etc. down a slope.
A powerful upper-level low that moved over the southern region of the state Monday will brought flooding, debris flows, and mudslides in parts of the burn scars of the recent Palisades, Eaton, and Hughes Fire.
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