If you have worn out your raincoat this winter and twice replaced your water-logged boots, you don’t live in parched Culver City.

Rainfall has fallen as far short of El Nino predictions this season as the margin by which Marty O’Malley missed nailing the Democrat party’s presidential nomination.

Don’t despair, Public Works Director Charles Herbertson said before last evening’s City Council meeting. He has resurfaced as a homegrown meteorologist since our state’s drought morphed into an emergency. He said it is not unusual for the “true El Nino effects not to materialize” until February and March in a season that runs from Oct. 15 until April 15.

How short are we of the desired – and confidently predicted – rain this winter?

“If we don’t get more rain, and snow, especially up north, the drought is going to continue,” said Mr. Herbertson. “Perhaps it will be even more severe next year.

“Right now we are very short (of relief).  Just last week Gov. Brown extended his rationing targets for the state for another six months. That is an indication of how seriously the state is taking this situation.”

It is important to understand that Mr. Herbertson’s work history is conservative – he has held two jobs in two communities in the past 31 years, 19½ in Hawthorne, the last 11½ in Culver City. The respected Public Works director’s projections are made in that context.

There is not anything unique position on the drought ladder. “Overall,” said Mr. Herbertson, “we have been hitting our (rationing) targets, although we missed in December. I am not sure why. We are doing well – unless what happened in December starts a trend. We need to be diligent.”