The Effects of California’s Heavy Rains

California’s recent heavy rains started late December of 2022 and continued into the new year. A total of nine atmospheric rivers drenched California and did not stop until halfway through January. The intense storm resulted in many road closures, mass evacuations, immense mudslides, and even fatalities.

California went from facing roughly a five year drought to receiving as much as 30 inches of rain in the majority of the state’s counties, which caused the state and its residents devastating and expensive damages.  In comparison to past storms, California’s current rainfall is about 400% to 600% above average. Governor Gavin Newsom believes climate change might be the reason for California’s inconsistent weather. After the aggressive storm hit Santa Cruz County, Governor. Gavin Newosm shares, “The dries are getting a lot drier the last three years, and the wets are getting a lot wetter. This weather whiplash — is that the new reality?” The state’s weather has inconsistently fluctuated from dry heats to severe rains, which has left many afraid of the future regarding climate change.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the storms resulted in 22 confirmed deaths. The causes being fallen trees, trapped vehicles, and excess storm debris. Many busy highways were closed due to increased flash flooding and mudslide risks. Various counties along California experienced mass evacuations and power outages as well. The San Francisco National Weather Service declares, “These winds combined with already saturated soils will likely result in downed trees/limbs causing isolated to scattered power outages as well as potential property damage.”

After several weeks of intense rain, mudslides, and more, over 48 of 58 California counties face excessive damage due to the intense weather. Over the next few months, millions of dollars’ worth of repairs will take place in counties facing damages. Less than two percent of homeowners in California have an insurance policy for flooding. Brian Ferguson, Deputy Director Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, shares, “The vast majority of our state has had impacts in some way, shape or form from San Diego and the south, where they were doing swift water rescues, to Humboldt near the Oregon border where we had mudslides and everywhere in between…” In response, President Joe Biden approved the state’s emergency declaration request for the federal aid to help with repairs due to the overwhelming weather that left many Californians feeling hopeful for the future.