Tropical storm Hilary drenched much of Southern California before its remnants moved on to douse several Western states. While some communities suffered severe flooding and mudslides, most got a beneficial soaking. But experts say that given the overall setup, the aftermath could have been much worse — and both luck and preparation played a role in avoiding a more dire outcome. … Thanks to California’s steep terrain, dense population and vast area burned by wildfires over the past several years, it probably takes less rain to cause serious flooding in the state than in other locations typically hit by hurricanes and tropical storms.

Related articles: 

• Time - California is out of its epic drought—for now
• Public Policy Institute of California – Blog: Tropical Storm Hilary wallops Southern California
• Politico: California mountain and desert towns dig out of the mud
• Holtville Tribune: Geography saves Imperial Valley from storm damage
• KCRA – Sacramento: Critters, pests surface in the post-storm aftermath of Hilary
• Nevada Independent: As Nevada deals with Hilary’s fallout, experts warn of more big storms in future