Axios's Andrew Freedman reports that one of the most powerful storms that is hitting California and placing 90% of the state under flood watch.
The article illustrates that torential rain has hit California with more than 16 inches of rain in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, and as much as 7.12 inches in Los Angeles County. These rains have forced thousands to evacuate. Furthermore, the NWS has issued flood watches Monday for over 34 million Californians — about 90% of the state's population. 25,000 customers were also out of power early Tuesday.
Why This Matters: The article demonstrates that shift from extreme drought to heavy rain illustrates the impact of human-caused climate change in California.
Big Picture: The article explains that these extreme weather shifts are in line with what studies report that human-caused climate change is amplifying the effects of these extremes, making the dry years drier, and the wet periods wetter.
- Julie Kalansky of Scripps' Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes reported that the portion of California's annual precipitation that comes from atmospheric rivers is expected to increase as the climate warms.
What's Next For California: Axios predicts that while there may be a break for a few days this week, there is no end in sight to these storms through the end of the month.
Source: Axios
