natural disaster Archives

Why California Should be Preparing for Floods, Even in the Midst of Drought

July 16, 2021/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /Los Angeles Timesby Stuart Leavenworth

The explorer John Wesley Powell once poked fun at the professional rainmakers of his time, writing, “Years of drought and famine come and years of flood and famine come, and the climate is not changed with dance, libation or prayer.”

As we now know, humans can change the climate — one reason the current drought is so intense, sparking what could be a record wildfire season and depleting mighty reservoirs such as Mead and Oroville.

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Biden Administration Declares California Drought Disaster. What Is Newsom Waiting For?

April 13, 2021/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /GV Wireby Bill McEwen

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack designated 50 California counties as natural disaster areas last month because of the drought. And, over the weekend, Fresno Congressman Jim Costa said on KSEE-24’s Sunday Morning Matters program that Gov. Newsom should declare a statewide emergency because of the dangerously dry conditions. Vilsack is a Democrat and former Iowa governor who served eight years as President Obama’s top farming official. Costa is a Democrat.

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Biden Urged to Back Water Bill Amid Worst US Crisis in Decades

February 25, 2021/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /The Guardianby Nina Lakhani

Democratic lawmakers and advocates are urging Joe Biden to back legislation proposing unprecedented investment in America’s ailing water infrastructure amid the country’s worst crisis in decades that has left millions of people without access to clean, safe, affordable water.

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Opinion: Don’t be Smug About Texas’ Troubles. California Isn’t Prepared for Disasters Either

February 25, 2021/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /Los Angeles Timesby Lucy Jones

The collapse of the power grid in Texas last week, and the cascading infrastructure failures that resulted from it, are stark examples of why a proactive government matters. A complete evaluation will surely show that, like most accidents and failures, many factors played a role, but it is already easy to see that the avoidance of government regulation contributed to the cold-weather chaos.

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U.S. Flood Damage Rose 30% in 30 years, a Sign of Warming

January 12, 2021/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /E&E Newsby Thomas Frank

Increased precipitation resulting partially from climate change has caused an additional $2.5 billion a year in U.S. flood damage, according to a new study that pinpoints the effect of changing weather on the cost of natural disasters.

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FEMA Ranks Los Angeles County as Riskiest in the Nation; Riverside, San Bernardino Counties in Top 10

January 5, 2021/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /CBS Los Angeles

Los Angeles County is the riskiest county in the country according to a new risk index – and Riverside and San Bernardino counties are not far behind.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Risk Index looked at 18 kinds of natural disasters, such as coastal flooding, drought, landslides, tsunamis, earthquakes, wildfires, strong winds, volcanic activity and heat and cold waves. The ranking also takes into account economic damage and the community’s ability to recover from a disaster.

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After Wildfires, Mudslides Could Be California’s Next Deadly Disaster

October 22, 2020/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /The Weather Channelby Jan Wesner Childs

After months of devastating wildfires and waiting desperately for the upcoming wet winter season to bring relief, some communities in California are now at high risk of potentially deadly mudslides.

The fires burned thousands of square miles of land and left scorched and barren hillsides vulnerable to an especially dangerous fast-moving type of landslide that scientists call “debris flow.” Known less formally as mudslides, these flows are typically triggered by short, intense storms and can send tides of soil, ash, vegetation, rocks and even cars and homes careening downhill, destroying everything in their path.

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Opinion: Building Long-Term Resilience to Climate Change in California

October 15, 2020/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /CalMattersby Matthew Armsby and Marisa Buchanan

In the past decade, California has experienced its most severe drought in over a millennium, devastating floods, the hottest summer on record and eight of the 10 largest wildfires ever recorded in the state.

Within the past month, Death Valley set a new record for the hottest temperature ever recorded on earth, and wildfires burned an area larger than the state of Connecticut. Three of the largest wildfires in California history are still smoldering, the smoke from which is now visible as far away as New York City.

Climate-driven disasters are increasingly putting Californians at risk and our most vulnerable populations, comprised largely of people of color, are suffering disproportionate impacts. These populations often have the least access to parks, greenspace and health care resources, and are at increased risk from rising temperatures, poor air quality driven by wildfires and other climate change impacts.

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