See remarkable photos as El Niño unearths 1930s 'Sin Ship'

Image Credit: Jamie Lantzy

Sunday, February 21, 2016, 4:47 PM - El Niño hasn't been delivering the rain Southern California was hoping for this winter, but the storms are having an unexpected impact.

Beach erosion is always a concern for California with El Niño, and while this winter's storms have thus far under-performed for the southern part of the state in terms of precipitation, they have been more successful when it comes to stripping away sand along the coastline. This has negative connotations for beachfront homeowners, but it's good news for at least one infamous attraction near San Diego.

The wreck of SS Monte Carlo, occasionally visible at low tide, is now more unearthed than it has been in the last 30 years thanks to the relentless waves from El Niño-driven storms, and locals are braving the chilly waters in droves to get a look for themselves.

The Monte Carlo, which sank off the coast of Coronado on New Year's Eve, 1936, was a popular hangout for the Hollywood Elite. Moored in international waters, it was a hotbed of liquor, gambling, and other unsavory pursuits during the Prohibition era.

While it was expected to provide relief to California's ongoing severe drought, thus far El Niño's rainfall across the southern part of the state has been lackluster. San Diego has seen 119% of its usual rainy season rainfall as of early February, but the California Drought Monitor reports two-thirds of the county is still in extreme to exceptional drought. Los Angeles has seen only 54% of its usual rainy season rainfall as reported by the California Department of Water Resources. Further north, and perhaps more importantly, further inland, precipitation totals are more encouraging. San Francisco has soaked up 102% of its usual rainfall, and water content in the snow pack of the Sierra Nevada - which feeds most of Southern California's water supply - ranges from 98% to 122% of average. That bodes well for the rest of the year, as snow melt stands to refill parched reservoirs.

Sources: NBC | California Department of Water Resources | WKLY.com | US Drought Monitor