California continues to be ravaged by rain, snow

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
15 Jan 2023 12:35

With more snow falling, the state of California is threatened with more flooding, landslides, and hail.

Flood waters inundate a home by the Salinas River near Chualar, California, on January 14, 2023 (AFP)

Governor Gavin Newsom said that fewer people died in the last two years of major wildfires in California than have died since New Year's Day because of the weather, adding that “these conditions are serious and they're deadly.”

One to three inches of rain fell over the lowlands of Central and Northern California on Saturday, with more falling in the mountains. Snow continued to fall in the Sierra Nevada, threatening the state of California with more flooding, landslides, and hail.

Since December 20, the state has been drenched by major storms due to the worst megadrought in 1,200 years. These catastrophic storm systems have even forced Santa Cruz County residents to evacuate.

Ocean water flooding into Rio Del Mar in Santa Cruz County, from Aimee at the Rio Sands hotel pic.twitter.com/WQFysU7Og9
— Kurtis Alexander (@kurtisalexander) January 5, 2023

While the rain was light on Saturday, an atmospheric river swept inland and threatened areas, forcing evacuations.

An atmospheric river is like a long, narrow river that runs through the sky, transporting tropical water vapor. Once these rivers reach land, they can cause extreme rainfall, floods, and mudslides in the area. According to PowerOutage.us, fallen trees knocked out power to over 40,000 homes in California on Saturday morning.

Since late December, atmospheric rivers have dumped approximately 24 trillion gallons of water on the state. At least 19 people have been killed in California by the deadly storms, and a five-year-old boy was still missing on Saturday after being swept from his mother's car by flood waters earlier in the week.

According to a social media post from the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office, the search for the missing child has been halted due to inclement weather.

The 4100 block of Stage Road near Pescadero is closed due to a partial collapse of the road. #CaWx #California pic.twitter.com/ZqFahH3iyA
— CAL FIRE CZU (@CALFIRECZU) January 14, 2023

The rain has also had an impact on the state's prized redwoods, whose future is uncertain following the heavy rain and flooding. While other areas have experienced destabilized soil, sinkholes, mudslides, and fallen trees, the condition of the redwoods, known as the world's tallest trees, is unknown, with California State Parks spokesperson Adeline Yee stating that a full assessment of the damage will not be available until after the storm.

California's governor warned his constituents that the next few days would be difficult, and he warned Californians to brace themselves for the state's ninth atmospheric river, which will arrive once Saturday's storm passes.

“The challenges may present themselves over the course of the next few days rather acutely. Particularly because everything’s saturated, particularly because the grounds are overwhelmed,” Newsom said.

“What may appear less significant in terms of the rainfall may actually be more significant on the ground in terms of the impacts on the ground and the flooding and the debris flow.”

In #MontereyCounty: One-way traffic control on #Hwy68 at Scenic Dr., just north of Community Hospital. Crews on site for slide removal. Please use caution driving in the area. pic.twitter.com/oNHTR3cKfp
— Caltrans District 5 (@CaltransD5) January 14, 2023

The storm is expected to weaken on Sunday before another major storm hits around 10 pm, which could last until Monday or Tuesday.

The UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab reported on Saturday morning that they had received 21.3 inches of snow in just 24 hours, and that the snowpack would increase by 10 feet by Monday.

Scientists warn that while some winter storms are normal, climate change has exacerbated the effects of extreme weather, causing "weather whiplash" in California. The massive amounts of rain will also not end California's megadrought.