When we talk about 3 to 5 inches of rain hitting California in just one of many storms coming this week and in coming weeks

There are  several big problems with too much rain or snow hitting California too fast. The first problem is altitude changes in California. For example there is the coastal range of mountains right near the coast especially north of Morro Bay and the Grapevine. When this much rain hits 4000 to 5000 feet elevation mountains many of whom have been burnt completely off in fires you can expect some pretty serious things to happen.

But then, it is more serious than this when you consider 14,000 foot peaks (a whole line of them including Mt. Whitney in the Sierras. Though it is true that at least this time of year most of this above about 5000 feet is going to come down as snow and likely stay as snow for the next 4 to 5 months at higher elevations.

However, everything that falls as rain below 5000 feet or so in the coastal Ranges or inland ranges like the Sierras or Tehachapis or numerous other mountains has to go (Somewhere).

And this is where people get into trouble because of what happens when water funnels down canyons and hits people or their homes and they don't expect it and have nowhere to go or run to. Because Flash floods are never usually expected so you don't know it's happening until you start to see your home moving or windows collapsing under mud or something like that.

Or you can just move away during this time if you have the money and stay in a hotel on higher safer ground until the danger is  passed. (at least with that particular storm dropping 3 to 5 inches of rain in one or two days).

The problem when too much snow hits it means that there are hikers who won't be found in time to save them because they never heard about the storms because they have been camping somewhere beautiful the last week or so. So, often they can't get out when 2 to 5 feet of snow hit because they either don't have snowshoes or cross country skis where that would be possible, or they lose their way, or they get hypothermia or panic and then it's all over for them unless they dig a snow cave or find a cabin with food and break in and wait it out until help can arrive by helicopter or something like that.