Officials urge California residents to brace for flooding as El Niño looms
1 year, 2 months ago

Officials urge California residents to brace for flooding as El Niño looms

LA Times  

With California facing the prospect of a second consecutive winter of heavy precipitation, state officials are urging residents to prepare for possible widespread flooding and evacuations in the coming months. Among the efforts is the Lower Elkhorn Basin Levee Setback Project, a $280-million endeavor that, in conjunction with a weir widening project from the Army Corps of Engineers, will send high water flows from the Sacramento River into the so-called Yolo Bypass, reducing flood risk for more than 750,000 people in the Sacramento area. Officials highlighted how the project — which consisted of a new pump station along with miles of newly constructed levees — will make more space for high water flows from the mighty Sacramento River while also improving habitat for salmon as well as ducks and migratory birds. “Climate extremes are creating more challenges for California, including increasing flood risk across the state,” said Karla Nemeth, the director of the Department of Water Resources.

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With bone-dry conditions, Southern California high fire danger could linger into the new year
1 week, 4 days ago

With bone-dry conditions, Southern California high fire danger could linger into the new year

LA Times  

By this time of year, Southern California has usually recorded some measurable rainfall. If the rains don’t come and the winds do, he said, “that will keep us in high fire season.” Two recent stretches of dangerous Santa Ana winds played out exactly the way forecasters worried they would, fueling the flames of major fires across coastal Southern California. “Down …

Storm lashes Northern California after leaving thousands without power in Seattle
1 month ago

Storm lashes Northern California after leaving thousands without power in Seattle

NPR  

Storm lashes Northern California after leaving thousands without power in Seattle toggle caption Noah Berger/AP HEALDSBURG, Calif. — Heavy downpours fell over much of Northern California on Friday, causing small landslides, overflowing a river and flooding some streets, including in parts of San Francisco. The storm arrived in the Pacific Northwest earlier this week, killing two people and knocking out …

Northern California gets record rain and heavy snow
1 month ago

Northern California gets record rain and heavy snow

Associated Press  

HEALDSBURG, Calif. — Heavy downpours fell over much of Northern California on Friday, causing small landslides, overflowing a river and flooding some streets, including in parts of San Francisco. The storm arrived in the Pacific Northwest earlier this week, killing two people and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands, mostly in the Seattle area, before moving through Northern California, …

California’s rainy season begins with a bomb cyclone bang. Are we in for a third record wet winter?
1 month ago

California’s rainy season begins with a bomb cyclone bang. Are we in for a third record wet winter?

LA Times  

Truckers hole up along the side of I-5 to let the storm pass before the highway is reopened in Weed, Calif. Supercharged by that dramatic bombogenesis and warm Pacific temperatures, which together pumped up the system’s winds and moisture, the storm could cause life-threatening flooding and damaging high surf north of the Bay Area, with prolonged, heavy rainfall, strong winds …

Tropical moisture mixes with California’s heat, driving storms, flood potential, fire risks
5 months ago

Tropical moisture mixes with California’s heat, driving storms, flood potential, fire risks

LA Times  

Women walk with an umbrella on a hot day at Hollywood & Highland. California’s latest heat wave has drawn tropical moisture into the region, causing severe thunderstorms in some inland areas that forecasters warn could continue to cause flash flooding and dangerous lightning through at least Wednesday night. The Sierra Nevada and surrounding foothills also have a high risk for …

Amid extreme heat, California adopts long-term water-saving targets for cities
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Amid extreme heat, California adopts long-term water-saving targets for cities

LA Times  

Welcome to Boiling Point. of California Water Agencies, which represents more than 470 public agencies, said the new rules will be challenging to meet and will require a “whole statewide effort to change the way that we use water in California.” She said the additional five years will be important for achieving the long-term goals. One National Weather Service meteorologist …

California braces for heavy wildfire activity this fall: ‘They’re only going to get worse’
6 months ago

California braces for heavy wildfire activity this fall: ‘They’re only going to get worse’

LA Times  

Experts are warning Californians to brace for a ‘very active’ wildfire season this fall as two back-to-back wet winters and forecasts for a warmer-than-normal summer are likely to prime the state’s landscape for fire. “The bad news is that I think that the back half of this season is going to be much more active — with a lot more …

California has underestimated the epic potential of future flooding, research shows
6 months, 3 weeks ago

California has underestimated the epic potential of future flooding, research shows

LA Times  

For well over a century, the Great Flood of 1862 has remained among California’s worst natural disasters — a megastorm that’s been used as a benchmark for state emergency planners and officials to better prepare for the future. After analyzing layers of sediment at Carrizo Plain National Monument, researchers at Cal State Fullerton say they have identified two massive, unrecorded …

A wet year boosted California’s groundwater, but not enough to address long-term declines
7 months, 2 weeks ago

A wet year boosted California’s groundwater, but not enough to address long-term declines

LA Times  

After years of pervasive declines, groundwater levels rose significantly in much of California last year, boosted by historic wet weather and the state’s expanding efforts to replenish depleted aquifers. The state’s aquifers gained an estimated 8.7 million acre-feet of groundwater — nearly double the total storage capacity of Shasta Lake — during the 2023 water year that ended Sept. 30, …

‘Way, way, way above normal’ rains could set all-time L.A. record as wet weather continues
8 months, 3 weeks ago

‘Way, way, way above normal’ rains could set all-time L.A. record as wet weather continues

LA Times  

A jogger and palm trees are reflected in a pool of standing rain along the beach path as a late-season storm moves out of Southern California on Sunday in Santa Monica. That wet pattern has continued as winter has given way to spring, with this past weekend’s storm dumping up to 4 inches of rain in some areas — pushing …

California storms deliver above-average snowpack, replenish reservoirs
8 months, 3 weeks ago

California storms deliver above-average snowpack, replenish reservoirs

LA Times  

California’s mountains are covered with snow, reservoirs are mostly filled and hills across the state are sprouting green grass and wildflowers after the latest round of soaking storms. “Because every year could be the first year of a 10-year drought.” Even with the state’s reservoirs at healthy levels, California continues to face complex water management problems, such as struggling fish …

Editorial: L.A. may not get another wet winter for a while. We should prepare for drier times
9 months ago

Editorial: L.A. may not get another wet winter for a while. We should prepare for drier times

LA Times  

A wet February weekend, as shown in this Feb. 4 photo of the Grammy Awards ceremony at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles, gave way to a wet March as the 2024 Southern California rainy season drew to a close. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power captured and stored more than 13.5 billion gallons of stormwater in February …

California doubles State Water Project allocation thanks to February storms
9 months ago

California doubles State Water Project allocation thanks to February storms

LA Times  

On the heels of a soaking start to 2024, state water managers on Friday announced a considerable increase in their forecasted water allocation for the year. “Mid- to late February storms have since improved hydrological conditions particularly for Northern California, allowing for a more robust water supply allocation,” the agency said in a statement. Nemeth said similarly that “DWR continues …

Another storm is coming to Southern California early next week. How big will it be?
10 months ago

Another storm is coming to Southern California early next week. How big will it be?

LA Times  

Sam Hale of Garden Grove looks for driftwood he can use in landscaping projects Wednesday in a debris field left by the rain-swollen Santa Ana River in Huntington Beach. Southern Californians can brace for another round of wet weather, with a storm expected to hit the region early next week to cap off a month of historically wet weather. “This …

California’s rainy season is here. What does it mean for water supply?
10 months ago

California’s rainy season is here. What does it mean for water supply?

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — After a dry start to winter, California’s rainy season is finally well under way. Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print WHAT ABOUT SNOW? A man shovels snow off his car in the Cleveland National Forest, on Feb. 7, 2024, in eastern San …

California hit with another storm as state battles flooding and mudslides
10 months ago

California hit with another storm as state battles flooding and mudslides

The Independent  

✕ Close Floodwaters rush through Montecito, California on Monday afternoon Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A brutal storm that battered …

California storm: Possible tornado hit southern region while LA was under flash flood warnings
10 months, 2 weeks ago

California storm: Possible tornado hit southern region while LA was under flash flood warnings

The Independent  

✕ Close Toppled tree falls on roof of California house as state battles floods and landslides Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy …

How California’s storms are projected to become more extreme with climate change
10 months, 2 weeks ago

How California’s storms are projected to become more extreme with climate change

LA Times  

Scientists have long known that as the atmosphere gets warmer, the air is able to hold more moisture. “In general, this allows the most intense downpours to get more intense, because there can be a greater amount of water vapor in the air,” UCLA atmospheric scientist Karen McKinnon said. Explore the section As the climate warms, the atmospheric rivers that …

Climate change will bring megafloods to California
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Climate change will bring megafloods to California

BBC  

Climate change will bring megafloods to California Getty Images 94% of California's population are under flood alerts Climate change is making it a matter of time before a megaflood hits the state. These severe floods in California are a "broadly underappreciated risk", according to a 2022 paper, co-authored by Daniel Swain and Xingying Huang, scientists at the National Centre for …

California storms kill three people as 38 MILLION remain under flood alerts and Beverly Hills roads turn to rivers of mud
10 months, 2 weeks ago

California storms kill three people as 38 MILLION remain under flood alerts and Beverly Hills roads turn to rivers of mud

Daily Mail  

Multi-million-dollar homes of Tinsel Town's elite have been trashed by flooding The National Weather Service forecasts the storm could bring up to an additional six inches of rain into Tuesday The Pineapple Express weather system has killed three Californians and 38 million people remain under flood alerts At least three people have died in the historic flooding battering California, as …

Why California Isn’t Built To Handle This Kind Of Storm
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Why California Isn’t Built To Handle This Kind Of Storm

Huff Post  

A person walks in the rain as a powerful long-duration atmospheric river storm, the second in less than a week, impacts California on Sunday in Santa Barbara, California. Mario Tama via Getty Images A rare weather event that brought catastrophic flooding and wind gusts exceeding 100 miles per hour to California has already incapacitated much of the state — including …

California battles rain and floods due to atmospheric river, 500,000 residents lose power
10 months, 2 weeks ago

California battles rain and floods due to atmospheric river, 500,000 residents lose power

Hindustan Times  

Nearly 500,000 California residents have reportedly lost power after forecasters warned of "one of the most dramatic weather days in recent memory". Thecounties include Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura – all of them located in central and Southern California. This covers over one million people in communities northwest of Los …

Photos: Powerful atmospheric river storm pummels California
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Photos: Powerful atmospheric river storm pummels California

LA Times  

Chilling rain, swirling gray clouds and blustery winds rolled into Southern California on Sunday as what was anticipated as the strongest storm of the season promised near-record rainfall and flash flooding through Tuesday. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in eight Southern California counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura. …

Emergency declaration and urgent warnings as Southern California storm gains ferocity
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Emergency declaration and urgent warnings as Southern California storm gains ferocity

LA Times  

A wave hits a boat that washed ashore as a powerful storm, the second in less than a week, hits Santa Barbara. The National Weather Service in Oxnard warned that “all systems are go for one of the most dramatic weather days in recent memory.” By Sunday evening, reports of storm damage and rescues were multiplying: Whipped by powerful winds, …

California Hit With Heavy Rain, Floods From Back-To-Back 'Pineapple Express' Storms
10 months, 3 weeks ago

California Hit With Heavy Rain, Floods From Back-To-Back 'Pineapple Express' Storms

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING LOS ANGELES — Heavy rain flooded California roadways and much-needed snow piled up in the mountains as the first of back-to-back atmospheric rivers pummeled the state Thursday. An atmospheric river, which is a long band of moisture that forms over the Pacific, was fueling the storms dousing the Los Angeles and San Diego areas, said National Weather …

First of back-to-back atmospheric rivers pushes into California. Officials urge storm preparations
10 months, 3 weeks ago

First of back-to-back atmospheric rivers pushes into California. Officials urge storm preparations

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — The first of two back-to-back atmospheric rivers slowly pushed into California on Wednesday, triggering statewide storm preparations and calls for people to get ready for potential flooding, heavy snow and damaging winds. The first of two back-to-back atmospheric rivers slowly pushed into California on Wednesday, triggering statewide storm preparations and calls for people to get ready for …

California is in a ‘snow drought.’ Why this week’s atmospheric rivers won’t be enough to end it
10 months, 3 weeks ago

California is in a ‘snow drought.’ Why this week’s atmospheric rivers won’t be enough to end it

LA Times  

Despite forecasts of heavy rain and possible flooding in the coming days, state water managers are warning that the “snow drought” in California’s Sierra Nevada could remain for the rest of the winter and into the spring. Swain said while it’s hard to predict how the snowpack will turn out, this year could end up with a below-average snowpack “because …

California isn’t prepared for turbocharged storms like the ones we’re getting this week
10 months, 3 weeks ago

California isn’t prepared for turbocharged storms like the ones we’re getting this week

LA Times  

As a series of major winter storms sweep over the West Coast this week, anxious Californians are looking back at the flash floods and the “thousand-year” deluge that shocked San Diego a week ago, and Oxnard a few weeks earlier, wondering what’s in store. Starting Tuesday night, and then again on Sunday, two “atmospheric river” systems will bring high winds …

Slow-moving Pacific storm threatens to bring California flooding and mudslides
1 year ago

Slow-moving Pacific storm threatens to bring California flooding and mudslides

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — Heavy rains drenched parts of California on Wednesday, bringing the threat of flooding and mudslides as millions of people geared up for holiday travel, the National Weather Service said. “I guess buying presents for the holidays is just that important.” At Whiskey & Leather in Montecito, near coastal Santa Barbara northwest of Los Angeles, manager Karina Cota …

Is El Niño’s reputation as a legendary rainmaker overblown?
1 year ago

Is El Niño’s reputation as a legendary rainmaker overblown?

LA Times  

In the minds of many Californians, El Niño has long loomed as a rainmaker of epic proportions. Similarly, this past winter proved to be one of the state’s wettest ever, even though California was mired in a rare three consecutive years of La Niña, El Niño’s typically dry counterpart. “When you hear El Niño, you visualize floods and mudslides almost …

California Gov. Gavin Newsom advances water tunnel project amid opposition from environmental groups
1 year ago

California Gov. Gavin Newsom advances water tunnel project amid opposition from environmental groups

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A long-sought and disputed project in drought-prone California aimed at capturing more water during heavy rain storms reached a key milestone on Friday when Gov. The Sierra Club said in a statement that the tunnel’s construction and operation would “cause mass environmental destruction for Delta communities and ecosystems.” Scott Artis, executive director of the Golden State Salmon …

California cities and farms will get 10% of requested state water supplies when 2024 begins
1 year ago

California cities and farms will get 10% of requested state water supplies when 2024 begins

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California water agencies serving 27 million people will get 10% of the water they requested from state supplies to start 2024 due to a relatively dry fall, even though the state’s reservoirs are in good shape, state officials said Friday. “California’s water year is off to a relatively dry start,” Karla Nemeth, director of the Department of …

There’s no drought anywhere in California: How long that’s expected to last, and why
1 year, 1 month ago

There’s no drought anywhere in California: How long that’s expected to last, and why

LA Times  

Agribusiness consultant Mark Grewel stands on a farm road that was flooded near Corcoran after heavy rains in the San Joaquin Valley last March. “For the most part, California had been drought-free” for weeks, but “a little smidgen” remained, said Brian Fuchs, a climatologist at the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska. Part of the reason for …

California is now practically drought-free, but we keep wasting so much rainwater
1 year, 3 months ago

California is now practically drought-free, but we keep wasting so much rainwater

LA Times  

A driver whose car stalled out on flooded Avenue 48 asks for help from a passerby during Tropical Storm Hilary. He still called Hilary’s rainfall “an unexpected boon” for Southern California’s local water supplies, but said too much of the storm’s water washed away — the latest reminder of the state’s urgent challenge to better capture rainwater to help refill …

California is working on solutions to worsening climate change. Will they be enough?
1 year, 4 months ago

California is working on solutions to worsening climate change. Will they be enough?

LA Times  

In the opening chapter of “The Ministry for the Future,” science-fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson details a calamitous heat wave that kills almost all the residents of a small town. “The simple equation is climate change, warmer atmosphere, more intense rain, more pollution, more problems but also major catastrophic infrastructure damage,” said Stefanie Sekich, senior manager of Surfrider Foundation’s coast …

California, facing another wet winter, races to prevent more flooding with levee repairs
1 year, 4 months ago

California, facing another wet winter, races to prevent more flooding with levee repairs

LA Times  

As forecasters sound the alarm about another potentially wet California winter fueled by El Niño, Gov. “Whether it’s drought or flood, we have to set proper science-based environmental standards and regulate according to those standards for the protection of people.” Among the items outlined in the executive order are emergency repairs to levees directly affected by this year’s floods, including …

What wet winter? California prepares for peak wildfire season
1 year, 5 months ago

What wet winter? California prepares for peak wildfire season

LA Times  

Fire crews cut a fire line in thick brush in the burn zone of the Fairview fire, near Hemet, in September 2022. Standing beneath the blistering sun at the Grass Valley Air Attack Base in Nevada County, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection chief Joe Tyler outlined the state’s plans to battle blazes this year with new tools and …

Winter storms boost Central Valley water supplies, but aquifer levels remain depleted
1 year, 6 months ago

Winter storms boost Central Valley water supplies, but aquifer levels remain depleted

LA Times  

Snow geese gather on a flooded farm near Dunnigan, in Yolo County, in January. The historic winter storms that filled California’s reservoirs and covered the Sierra Nevada with snow have brought a major boost to water supplies across Central Valley watersheds — an increase that measurements from NASA satellites show is the largest year-over-year gain in more than two decades …

One way to lower California's flood risk? Give rivers space : Short Wave
1 year, 6 months ago

One way to lower California's flood risk? Give rivers space : Short Wave

NPR  

One way to lower California's flood risk? Give rivers space toggle caption Lauren Sommer/NPR With much of California's massive snowpack yet to melt, downstream communities remain on high alert for flooding. Today, NPR climate correspondent Lauren Sommer talks about a new approach: just giving rivers some space to flow. Levees are being removed and moved back, creating natural floodplains that …

Majority of Californians fear worsening weather swings due to climate change, poll finds
1 year, 6 months ago

Majority of Californians fear worsening weather swings due to climate change, poll finds

LA Times  

As California continues to experience swings from one weather extreme to another, a majority of residents say they are increasingly concerned about the state’s changing climate, and some worry that weather impacts could force them to move in the future. Nearly 70% of registered voters say they expect that volatile fluctuations between severe drought and periods of heavy rain and …

California is still at risk of flooding. Maybe rivers just need some space
1 year, 6 months ago

California is still at risk of flooding. Maybe rivers just need some space

NPR  

California is still at risk of flooding. "We love to see the floodwater on our property," says Jon Carlon, co-founder of River Partners, as he looks across the water from an aluminum boat. "Rivers move and that's a really hard concept for us with property rights and roads and infrastructure," Carlon says. toggle caption Lauren Sommer/NPR Regulations are for levees …

The high cost of an El Niño in 2023
1 year, 6 months ago

The high cost of an El Niño in 2023

BBC  

The high cost of an El Niño in 2023 Bill Wechter / Getty Images In the southern US El Niño typically leads to increased rainfall and flooding Scientists have announced the start of a potentially strong El Niño climate pattern in June 2023. And they say that following two previous very strong El Niño events in 1982-83 and 1997-98, the …

California's destructively wet winter has a bright side. You'll want to see it
1 year, 8 months ago

California's destructively wet winter has a bright side. You'll want to see it

NPR  

California's destructively wet winter has a bright side. You'll want to see it Enlarge this image toggle caption Claire Harbage/NPR Claire Harbage/NPR CARRIZO PLAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT, Calif. — The roads are still rutted where rainwater carved them and farms are still flooded down the valley, but here in California's largest remaining grassland, the benefits of the state's destructively wet winter …

The great California snowmelt has begun: See striking before and after satellite photos
1 year, 8 months ago

The great California snowmelt has begun: See striking before and after satellite photos

LA Times  

Cars travel U.S. 395 along the east side of the Sierra Nevada near Lone Pine, Calif., on March 22. Though the accumulated snow still measures 249% of normal as of April 18, new satellite photos show that the white blankets enveloping mountains across the state have started to recede. Satellite images seen below from NASA’s Earth Observing System Data and …

Editorial: Drought and flood, California’s double whammy
1 year, 8 months ago

Editorial: Drought and flood, California’s double whammy

LA Times  

Just as federal officials were laying out alternative scenarios last week for steep water supply cuts from the Colorado River due to the drying Southwest, California officials were warning that this year’s historic Sierra snowpack could flood much of the state later this year. Lake Mead, and farther up the Colorado River, Lake Powell — Southern California’s two big out-of-state …

Volcano? Climate change? Bad luck? Why California was hit with 31 atmospheric river storms
1 year, 8 months ago

Volcano? Climate change? Bad luck? Why California was hit with 31 atmospheric river storms

LA Times  

As winter approached, few anticipated what was about to hit California. It could be random bad luck.” Many of winter’s atmospheric river storms came farther south, moved slowly after making landfall and came later in the season than in prior years — creating more disruption, said Chad Hecht, a research and operations meteorologist at the Center for Western Weather and …

How worried are Californians about access to water? A new study breaks that down
1 year, 8 months ago

How worried are Californians about access to water? A new study breaks that down

LA Times  

Natalia Ledesma, 9, pumps drinking water from a five-gallon container at her home in the unincorporated Fresno County area of Tombstone. “Whether perceived or not by water users, these climate change-driven extreme weather events have clear implications for California household water access,” climate scientists wrote in a new study. Researchers from the Union of Concerned Scientists, UC Berkeley, UCLA, San …

Opinion: Catastrophic floods and breached levees reveal a problem California too often neglects
1 year, 8 months ago

Opinion: Catastrophic floods and breached levees reveal a problem California too often neglects

LA Times  

For much of the past decade, Californians have been fixated on drought, and rightly so. Third, as recent work at UC Irvine has shown, flood preparedness efforts tend to focus narrowly on meeting the bare-minimum federal standards — standards few floodplain managers consider adequate. Our flood management infrastructure, meanwhile, is aging: Most of California’s levees, dams, coastal protections and flood …

‘Very, very dangerous’: These parts of California face flood risk from snowmelt, spring sun
1 year, 8 months ago

‘Very, very dangerous’: These parts of California face flood risk from snowmelt, spring sun

LA Times  

A vehicle drives through a flooded stretch of Garces Highway as the Tulare Lake Basin continues to fill with runoff from record rain and snow. “If you’re recreating in rivers and streams, the water is going to be cold and high and fast,” said Karla Nemeth, director of the California Department of Water Resources. “We’ll keep a close eye on …

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