The desert community got more than 3 inches of rain, the most precipitation recorded there on a single day.
The California desert’s infinite loop of dry air and chromatic sun has been one of the Coachella Valley’s iconic features, making Sunday night’s once-in-a-lifetime deluge all the more stunning.
Palm Springs may be a desert but that doesn’t mean they don’t have any water. The geography of the area results in a nearly limitless supply of water that is replenished every year.
They do have water, but the “nearly limitless supply” has to be topped off via canal connecting it to the Colorado River. Seems like the aquifer was close to exhaustion almost 100 years ago.
http://www.cvwd.org/154/Where-does-my-water-come-from