Tag Archive for: Climate Change

Rains, Mudslides Prompt Southern California Evacuations

Thousands of residents were under evacuation and shelter-in-place orders early Tuesday after heavy rains unleashed mudslides in a mountain area east of Los Angeles that burned two years ago, sending boulders and other debris across roads.

Firefighters went street by street in the community of Forest Falls Monday night to make sure no residents were trapped. Eric Sherwin, spokesperson for the San Bernardino County Fire Department, said crews hadn’t found anyone who needed to be rescued and no one was reported missing. Crews would canvas the neighborhoods again and begin cleanup efforts after sunrise, he said.

Northstate Rice Farmers Struggle to Grow Crops as Drought Persists

Dry, cracked rice fields can be seen driving along Interstate 5 in Glenn and Colusa counties. This year has been more than challenging for farmers as California continues its third consecutive year of extreme drought conditions.

KRCR spoke to fourth-generation farmer Chris Johnson on Monday about not being able to plant crop due to lower water allocation from the Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District (GCID).

 

California: Drought, Record Heat, Fires and Now Maybe Floods

Californians sweated it out amid a record-breaking heat wave entering its 10th day Friday that has helped fuel deadly wildfires and pushed energy supplies to the brink of daily power outages.

At Lake Powell, a ‘Front-Row Seat’ to a Drying Colorado River and an Uncertain Future

At his office whiteboard on this dam town’s desert edge, the water utility manager recited the federal government’s latest measures of the colossal reservoir that lay 4 miles down the road, then scrawled an ominous sketch showing how far it has shrunk.

In his stylized drawing of Lake Powell, the surface lapped just above where he marked his town’s drinking water pipe, bringing the Colorado River drought crisis uncomfortably close to home.

15-Day Watering Ban Begins for Parts of L.A. County

A 15-day outdoor watering ban took effect for 4 million Los Angeles County residents on Tuesday as crews make emergency repairs to a pipeline that delivers water to Southern Californians, according to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

When It Comes to Fighting Climate Change, California Says Consider the Beaver

As California grapples with drought, a record heat wave and persistent wildfires, one state agency is turning to the beaver in its battle against climate change.

The large rodents, according to researchers, are resourceful engineers capable of increasing water storage and creating natural firebreaks with their dams.

Carlsbad Desal Plant Water Output Cut 20% to Conserve Power Amid Heat Wave

Water production at the Carlsbad desalination plan has been temporarily reduced to conserve power while the heat wave stresses California’s electric grid.

The Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant, which can produce up to 50 million gallons per day, typically accounts for about 1% of peak electricity demand in San Diego Gas & Electric’s service area.

Parched: California’s Climate Crisis

Parched: California’s Climate Crisis

A special report on California’s changing climate and the ongoing drought by CBS stations across the Golden State: https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/video/parched-californias-climate-crisis/

Napa County’s Famed Wine Country Prepares for Climate Change

Drought, heat, and wildfires all threaten Wine Country grape harvests, but growers are getting creative to defend their crops.

Climate change is endangering California’s wine industry. Just ask some of the industry’s titans.

California is Throwing Some Shade at Its Water Crisis

An innovative plan to conserve water by covering aqueducts with solar panels is about to undergo testing in drought-stricken California.

Why it matters: Water is becoming more precious by the day in the Golden State and the Western U.S. more broadly, in part due to climate change.