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California: the Big One [1]
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Date: 2022-08-14
It never rains in southern California, it pours
Most of us living in California understand that at any moment, the earth can start moving under our feet. We have minor earthquakes all the time, moderate ones every few years, but most of us haven't experienced "the Big One."
We strap our water heaters and furniture to the wall, stock water and canned goods, have wrenches to turn off gas and water lines, have flashlights, dog crates, and tents. We basically are like boy scouts, prepared. San Andreas, you're going to do what you're going to do.
But now, UCLA tells us that the "Big One" isn't the "Big One". What we need to worry about most may be the 100-200 year Arkflood which will likely be intensified by climate change.
UCLA Study
If you've been in California any length of time, we have massive winter storms that cause wide spread flooding and turn commutes into hellish nightmares. But in the last big flood, 1861-1862, the central part of California turned into a lake, 300 hundred miles long and 60 miles wide. The difference between then and now is 40 million people.
Per the LATimes:
In that inundation 160 years ago, 30 consecutive days of rain triggered monster flooding that roared across much of the state and changed the course of the Los Angeles River, relocating its mouth from Venice to Long Beach.
Venice Beach to Long Beach is 27 miles, so the LA river used to enter the Pacific Ocean west of downtown, now directly south.
Also per LA Times:
If a similar storm were to happen today, the study says, up to 10 million people would be displaced, major interstate freeways such as Interstates 5 and 80 would be shut down for months, and population centers including Stockton, Fresno and parts of Los Angeles would be submerged — a $1-trillion disaster larger than any in world history.
The USGS suggests that future ark storms will be worse due to climate change. Warmer temperatures allow for the atmosphere to hold more moisture, and higher temperatures will cause a higher snow fall elevation, so we can expect rain on snow producing more runoff. Many areas of the state could see 100 inches of rain in 30 days.
But in the mean time, sitting outside, breeze off the ocean, sunny skies, and life is wonderful.
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