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Smaller Utilities Most Exposed to California Wildfire Risk: S&P

/in , /by /Bloombergby William Green

Small water and sewer utilities in California will struggle to recover after wildfires, especially if they’re near wilderness areas or far from large cities, according to a new report from S&P Global Ratings. After major natural disasters in the state, utilities are typically required to front the costs of repairs and are only reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and state government afterward. Utilities in towns that are small or poor, on the edge of flammable wilderness, or far from a major city will have particular trouble in paying for those costs upfront or reestablishing service quickly so they can resume collecting revenue, according to the report by credit analyst Tim Tung.

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Climate Change Will Bring Multiple Disasters at Once, Study Warns

/in , /by /CBS San Francisco

In the not-too-distant future, disasters won’t come one at a time. Instead, according to new research, we can expect a cascade of catastrophes, some gradual, others abrupt, all compounding as climate change takes a greater toll. While all regions of the globe face compounding threats, the study cited California and Florida as two prime examples close to home. “Facing these climatic changes will be like getting into a fight with Mike Tyson, Schwarzenegger, Stallone, Jackie Chan — all at the same time.”

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California Areas Torched By Wildfires Face New Dangers—Flooding and Mudslides

/in , /by /Time Magazineby Tara Law

The rain that’s forecasted for later this week may give California some much-needed relief from the deadly and destructive wildfires plaguing the state. But too much sudden rainfall may pose its own dangers for land that has been burned. The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for the Butte County area, which is fighting the Camp Fire, for Wednesday afternoon through Friday morning. The warning states that there’s a chance of heavy rain which could trigger “flash floods, rockslides and/or debris flows” in a areas near the fire.

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OPINION: Can Gov. Brown Cut Water Deal Before He Leaves?

/in , /by /The Mercury News (San Jose)by Dan Walters

As the Civil War raged, William Brewer, a young botanist from upstate New York, spent five years cataloging California’s natural attributes for its Legislature. As he and his crew traversed the state by mule in their annual sojourns, living off the land, Brewer found much to commend. But in letters to his brother, decades later assembled into a must-read book, “Up and Down California,” Brewer also wondered whether its climate would impede its development.

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Crews Under Pressure To Find California Wildfire Victims’ Remains Before Storm

/in , /by /CBS News (New York)

As rain moves closer to fire-ravaged communities in Northern California, federal search-and-rescue team member Brian Ferreira said the pressure was on to find remains of victims of the Camp Fire. Almost 700 people were reported missing, and at least 79 people are dead. “The material that we’re dealing with it’s heavily, you know, ash and soot, and when the water touches that, it kinda turns to sediment, almost like soil again,” Ferreira said. “It is kinda urgent, yeah, that we get through this as quick as we can.”

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Will California Fires Create Toxic Rain? Experts Say No—Here’s Why

/in , /by /Newsweek (New York)by Shane Croucher

Experts debunked a message shared thousands of times on social media that warned of the threat of “extremely toxic” rain as a consequence of the Camp Fire in California. The Facebook post told people not to let animals or pets out into the “toxic” rain, to wash them thoroughly if they do get out, and to keep a set of “outside” clothes and to change out of them immediately upon arriving home.

 

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Thanksgiving Day Storm Will Be Weak, Short-Lived — Not Close To What San Diego Needs

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Gary Robbins

A major storm out of the North Pacific will drench parts of Northern and Central California this week. But the system will fall apart by the time it gets to Southern California, producing only minute amounts of precipitation in San Diego County on Thanksgiving Day, says the National Weather Service. “San Diego will only get about one-tenth of an inch of rain between late Wednesday night through Thanksgiving Day,” said Joe Dandrea, a weather service forecaster. “The mountains could get a little more. Then things should mostly clear up.

 

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Federal Judge Considers Request To Dismiss Cross-Border Sewage Lawsuits

/in , /by /KPBSby Erik Anderson

The federal government was back in court Monday, arguing that the lawsuits asking the U.S. government to fix cross-border sewage flows should be thrown out. The Department of Justice is trying, for the second time, to have three cross-border sewage lawsuits thrown out before they get to trial. Imperial Beach, Chula Vista and the port of San Diego filed the first lawsuit. SurfRider’s San Diego chapter filed the second. And the state of California filed the third.

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SDG&E Is Looking To Leave The Power-Buying Business

/in , /by /Voice of San Diegoby Ry Rivard

In a dramatic sign of California’s changing energy market, San Diego Gas & Electric wants to stop buying and selling electricity. In recent days, the company has asked lawmakers to introduce legislation that would let SDG&E reduce its role – while also pushing the state to enter the energy market in a big way. The company’s vision could eventually require the state to buy out its long-term power contracts and possibly pay the company for several natural gas-fired power plants it owns. SDG&E is pitching this idea as the company prepares to lose about half of its power customers within the next few years.

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Upcoming Pattern Change Will Bring Much-Needed Rain To California And Warmer Temperatures To Central U.S. As Northeast Shivers

/in , /by /The Weather Channelby Linda Lam

A pattern change is expected to take place this week that will bring long-awaited rainfall to the West, including California, and relief from the blasts of cold air in the central United States. For much of November, a southward dip in the jet stream has been in place over the central and eastern U.S. This has brought rounds of cold air, along with periods of rain and snow. In the West, the dominant pattern has been dry and mild conditions due to an upper-level ridge of high pressure near the West Coast.

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