Yet after back-to-back atmospheric rivers walloped California in less than a week, it wouldn’t take much for water, mud and boulders to sluice down fragile hillsides, experts warned. Some 400 trees had fallen in the Los Angeles area alone, the city said. At least 6 billion gallons (22.7 billion liters) of storm water in Los Angeles alone were captured for groundwater and local supplies, the mayor’s office said. Just two years ago, nearly all of California was plagued by a devastating drought that strained resources and forced water cutbacks. Associated Press journalists Christopher Weber, John Antczak and Damian Dovarganes in Los Angeles and Scott Sonner in Reno, Nevada, contributed.

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Persons: Tyler Kranz, Dion Peronneau, Mud, ”, “, ” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, ” Bass, Lou Quismorio, “ I’ve, Sabrina Biddle, ___ Watson, Christopher Weber, John Antczak, Damian Dovarganes, Scott Sonner Organizations: ANGELES, Hollywood, Weather Service, ” Los Angeles Mayor, California Highway Patrol, National Weather Service, Associated Press Locations: Southern California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, LA, Baldwin, ” Los, Pasadena, San Diego, Northern California, Tijuana, Mexico, Yucaipa, Arizona, New Mexico, Phoenix, Flagstaff, Reno , Nevada