Inland Empire braces for El Nino; authorities say Riverside County infrastructure likely to fail under heavy onslaught of rain

RIVERSIDE COUNTY - The storm activity that El Nino is expected to spawn this winter could pose a risk to bridges and roads throughout the Inland Empire, and despite efforts to mitigate problems before they occur, it’s doubtful “we can prevent” infrastructure failures, a state official said.

“When the water starts moving swiftly through those arroyos, and we start seeing flash floods, infrastructure will be damaged,” California Office of Emergency Services Director Mark Ghilarducci said.

Ghilarducci was joined by Bob Fenton, administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s western re...