High cost of potholes

At Hank's Tire on Ventura Boulevard, owner Steve Goldberg inspected the beat-up, discarded wheels that have been piling up at his shop recently. Susan Abram in the Daily News.

The heap of torn rubber is testament to the nearly 15 inches of rain that have pelted parched hillsides since the official rain season began on July 1, leaving city streets pocked with wide, jagged potholes.

Goldberg says he's seen more customers come to his shop this year with deep gashes to tires, damaged rims and whacked-out alignments.