El Niño is expected to not only bring changes in the weather but also changes in marine life off the coast.

Last year El Niño surprised California Lutheran University students with flash floods and water damage to cars parked on campus. Property safety remains a local concern, particularly to students on campus and nation-wide news reporters educated Americans about the concerning climate changes.

According to ABC News, new sea life is appearing on the coast and various sharks are being spotted in Southern California as they are venturing out of their geographical habitat.

Californians are seeing “hammerhead sharks to green sea turtles and even a venomous yellow-bellied sea snake,” all of which have not “been seen in SoCal since a powerful El Niño in the early 1980s,” according to ABC News. “Experts say all these creatures are signs another strong El Niño is moving in.”

Students at Cal Lutheran may notice the marine life changes if they venture out to the coast, but more immediate concerns include the amount of rainfall and damage to cars parked on campus.

Last year, Eric Reinhardt, a senior at Cal Lutheran found his car flooded due to heavy rainfall.

“I parked my car near a storm drain. The next morning when I got to my car and opened it, there was about an inch or two of water in the floorboards completely soaking the carpet,”  Reinhardt said.

Reinhardt and his father were able to repair the damages, but other cars parked near the New West Complex were subject to similar if not more extensive damages.

“Water was so backed up that it was flowing through the street like a river,” Reinhardt said. “I saw a few other cars that had water up to their bumpers and a few [residence] halls flooded too.”

Taylor Messick,  junior and resident assistant at Cal Lutheran, and has not heard of any preventative measures being taken in preparation for this year’s El Niño.

There was minor flooding in the New West Complex where not to park.

Last week, though it was due to a water pipe breaking and no water damage occurred inside the residence halls, according to Messick.

Messick advises students in the New West Complex “to not park your car by the entrance off Campus Drive into the residence halls. This is where the cars that got flooded during the rainstorm were parked.”

Though exact rainfall is difficult to predict, it is possible for students to note that areas of campus have received heavier rain in the past, as well as avoid parking spots that tend to puddle up.

“Avoid storm drains and areas where water flows down,” Reinhardt said.

Though Cal Lutheran is on primarily flat land, there are target areas that will collect more water.

Students have access to additional parking in the Welcome Center parking lot for both commuters and residents, and additional parking can be found across Olsen Road in the Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center parking lot. Some parking is also available on Campus Drive by iCLU radio.

Laurel Skinner
Staff Writer
Published November 11th, 2015