State law required that many trees in La Habra Heights be cut down because the city is considered a fire zone, but some residents feel they could have been better protected from flood damage had more trees lined the hillside. Hetty Chang reports for the NBC4 News on Feb. 7, 2024.
For homeowners who live in La Habra Heights, the clean up from this week's storms could take at least several days.
As they dig out, some feel they could have been better protected from flood damage. Jim Lewis is one of dozens of homeowners in La Habra Heights cleaning up and trying to clear out.
Debris from the top of a hill slid down to Lewis' backyard on Vista del Llano Drive.
“There was just so much water hitting it. And it just - each time, it got saturated. And the weight just dropped,” Lewis said.
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There were trees on the hillsides that may have helped keep the soft soil intact during this week's rain. But most of them were cut down as required by law because the city of La Habra Heights is a fire zone.
“If anyone does an addition or builds a new house, they have to go through this process of developing a fuel modification plan. some of those things they have to do is they have to remove trees -- that are an inherent fire danger,” said Rafferty Wooldridge, La Habra Heights interim city manager.
Specifically, eucalyptus trees, which the city says are highly hazardous fuels for fires, so state code require their removal anytime someone makes modifications to their home.
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The storm that arrived Sunday brought rain over the course of four days, drenching Southern California hillsides with moisture. Hundreds of slides were reported around the region and hillsides remain unstable after the storm moved out.
