Recently California has been experiencing an unusual amount of rain due to a winter storm passing through. There are rivers overflowing with water, flooding in communities, and loss of electricity. Many are losing things and people they love. Was California prepared?
Northern California has been hit the hardest by rain, from the rivers swelling to streets being flooded by 8 feet of water. A boy was swept away by floodwaters in San Luis Obispo. The search has been called off but the boy is still missing. The storm has continued to leave destruction and loss behind and continues to grow worse. The Capitol California Pier bridge, located in Santa Cruz, broke due to the high tides. In a video shared through TikTok user eltoni_boy shows how awfully the bridge has broken. The homes that run along Capitola no longer have a beach parting their homes with the water and part of Capitola Wharf has been left destroyed. Not only are people’s homes being destroyed by water but trees are falling due to high winds and breaking roofs whilst taking out electricity for many communities. So many people are losing their homes, cars, and belongings due to this awful storm.
Southern California was not hit as hard as Northern California, but many residents were sent flash flood warnings throughout L.A. County. According to the National Weather Service, there were winds that reached up to 87 miles per hour in L.A. County. This resulted in many fearing their power was going to go out The highest rainfall totals have been in Woodland Hills, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, and LAX reaching one to three inches of rainfall. Officials have warned all that live in L.A. County to keep an eye on the weather and be prepared.
As we know California is in a drought, but with the amount of rain flooding California you may be thinking it would help prevent the drought from worsening. Well, sadly much of the water that we are receiving from the rain is either going straight into the ocean or being uncollected. Luckily there is technology being made to preserve more of this rainwater. This new technology is referred to as “green infrastructure”. With this new technology collecting water from our roofs and sidewalks would be made possible. However, in order for this new technology to take effect it requires government investment, more advancements, and needs to overcome political obstacles. Hopefully, one-day rainwater like this will not have to go to waste.
This isn’t the first time California has been concerned about a flood. Back in 1862 California, Nevada, and Oregon all experienced several weeks of continuous rain. The flooding spanned from the Columbia River in Oregon to San Diego California. This massive flood resulted in 4,000 deaths, ⅓ of properties destroyed, 25% of the state’s cattle being wiped out, and the state going Bankrupt. The state was hit with inflation because they needed money to rebuild the city. You could see eggs go up to the price of $3 which is equivalent to $79 in today’s dollars. The state cost $100 million to recover ( Now $3.117 billion). Many had to even row their way to work and didn’t even get paid due to the lack of money in the state.
With the aftermath of this winter storm, many are preparing for another week of rain. There is a possibility that we will see the same flooding we did this past week or it may be even more dangerous. May we wish all Californian residents to stay safe.