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Opinion: California Was Just Inundated With Much-needed Water. Too Bad We Didn’t Save Much of It

/in , , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Ian Lemay

The recent series of atmospheric rivers dumped enough rain and snow on Northern California to give us hope that the end of the drought may be near. California’s Department of Water Resources is reporting that the state’s snow water equivalent, or how much water the snowpack is expected to yield, is almost double what we expect at this time of year. According to department officials, it’s “the best start to our snowpack in over a decade.”

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January Storms Leave L.A. County Flood-Control Dams at Risk of Overflowing

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Louis Sahagun

Now that the shock of a series of January storms has worn off, Los Angeles County officials face a herculean chore: Five reservoirs along south-facing San Gabriel Mountain slopes are filled with so much debris and soupy mud that they pose a flood risk to the communities below.

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Opinion: How California Can Prepare for Future Floods Before a Megastorm Hits

/in , , /by /CalMattersby Gerald Meral

Californians have suddenly turned their attention from drought to flooding.

The future likelihood of a series of huge atmospheric rivers in California, a so-called ARk storm scenario, seems to be a certainty. Atmospheric rivers channel moist tropical air towards the West Coast, where mountains condense it to rain and snow. Over the last few weeks, California has suffered through a sneak peak of its devastating potential.

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For All Their Ferocity, California Storms Were Not Likely Caused by Global Warming, Experts Say

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Louis Sahagun

As California emerges from a two-week bout of deadly atmospheric rivers, a number of climate researchers say the recent storms appear to be typical of the intense, periodic rains the state has experienced throughout its history and not the result of global warming.

Although scientists are still studying the size and severity of storms that killed 19 people and caused up to $1 billion in damage, initial assessments suggest the destruction had more to do with California’s historic drought-to-deluge cycles, mountainous topography and aging flood infrastructure than it did with climate-altering greenhouse gasses.

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Opinion: Suddenly, Water is Everywhere. So Are Questions About Saving More of It.

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Michael Smolens Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Many years ago, scientists predicted climate change would result in more intense weather swings, the likes of which California is currently experiencing: extended stretches of drought interrupted by periods of hard rains.

Now as before, people raise the same question when atmospheric rivers hit and massive storm runoff flows into the ocean: Why can’t we capture more of that and store it for the dry seasons?

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California Faces Catastrophic Flood Dangers — and a Need to Invest Billions in Protection

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

The storms that have been battering California offer a glimpse of the catastrophic floods that scientists warn will come in the future and that the state is unprepared to endure.

Giant floods like those that inundated the Central Valley in 1861 and 1862 are part of California’s natural cycle, but the latest science shows that the coming megafloods, intensified by climate change, will be much bigger and more destructive than anything the state or the country has ever seen.

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Los Angeles County Collects 33 Billion Gallons of Rainwater in Recent Storms

/in , , /by /KTLA 5by Travis Schlepp

Good news has surfaced in Los Angeles County’s ongoing battle with water scarcity.

The Los Angeles County Public Works Department announced Monday that more than 33 billion gallons of stormwater have been captured in the early months of the California winter storm season.

It will be used as drinking water and is enough to supply 816,000 people with enough water for an entire year, according to Los Angeles County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella.

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More Rain, Snow in California From Ninth in Series of Storms

/in , /by /AP Newsby Christopher Weber

The ninth atmospheric river in a three-week series of major winter storms was churning through California on Monday, leaving mountain driving dangerous and the flooding risk high near swollen rivers even as the sun came out in some areas.

Heavy snow fell across the Sierra Nevada and the National Weather Service discouraged travel. Interstate 80, a key highway from the San Francisco Bay Area to Lake Tahoe ski resorts, reopened with chain requirements after periodic weekend closures because of whiteout conditions.

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California Death Toll Reaches 20 as Last of Atmospheric River Storms Finally Ends

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby Reuters

The parade of atmospheric rivers that pounded California for three weeks finally faded on Monday, enabling the state to begin lengthy repairs to roads and levees as the White House announced President Biden planned to survey the damage.

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Why Amospheric Rivers Could Become More Frequent as World Transitions out of La Niña

/in , , /by /FOX Weather

As critical areas of the Pacific Ocean warm and the world marches out of a La Niña towards neutral status, North America might be in store for changes in weather patterns not seen in several years.

A rare triple-dip La Niña has been in place since 2020 and was one of the main driving forces behind megadroughts, severe weather outbreaks and hurricanes.