California is bracing itself for a series of severe storms fueled by atmospheric rivers that are expected to bring heavy rain, strong gusty winds, and potential flash floods. The first of these storms arrived on Wednesday, with forecasters warning of widespread roadway and small-stream flooding in vulnerable areas where past wildfires have left burn scars or where the terrain has already been saturated by previous rains. The storms will also dump heavy snow over the Sierra and intermountain west region, and churn up high surf along the coasts.
Atmospheric rivers are long streams of moisture in the atmosphere that can rival the flow of the mighty Mississippi River. When they make landfall, the moisture is released as rain or snow, and are often accompanied by strong, gusty winds that add to their destructive tendencies. These “rivers in the sky” have the potential to wreak havoc, especially in areas that are already saturated or have been affected by recent wildfires.
The storms are expected to bring heavy rainfall, with some areas potentially receiving up to 12 hours of heavy to locally very heavy rainfall. Officials across the state are urging residents to prepare for power outages, downed trees, and hazardous road conditions, and have activated the state operations center and flood operations center to coordinate emergency responses.
California Bracing for Severe Storms Amid Atmospheric River LoomingThe governor, Gavin Newsom, has also pre-positioned personnel and equipment in communities most at risk, warning that the state is working around the clock to deploy life-saving equipment and resources statewide. Residents are on edge, still recovering from last year’s historic storms that unleashed extraordinary amounts of rain, causing flooding and waves that hammered shoreline communities, as well as extraordinary snowfall that crushed buildings.
The memory of those storms is still fresh in the minds of those affected, particularly in areas like Capitola, where kitchen manager Joshua Whitby is taking precautions by bringing in sandbags and considering boarding up the restaurant Zelda’s on the Beach. “There’s always a little bit of PTSD going on with this just because of how much damage we did take last year,” Whitby said.
As the storms intensify, forecasters are warning of potentially damaging winds and heavy, widespread precipitation, particularly in southern California. The cumulative impact of the storms could pose the biggest problems, especially in areas already saturated from previous downpours. Communities in San Diego and Ventura counties are still grappling with the aftermath of serious flooding this winter, and are likely to see significant rainfall this week.
Despite the challenges posed by the storms, forecasters are also optimistic about the potential snowfall, which could bring a fresh layer of snow to the mountains and boost the state’s meager snowpack. The snowpack acts as a kind of water savings account for the year ahead, and is critical for California’s water supply. With the second snow survey of the year showing a significant improvement from last month, the state is hoping that the storms will bring much-needed relief to the dry conditions.