Key Facts Of The Day 1/9

Storms and Flooding

• As of Monday, 90% of Californians are under flood watches as another atmospheric river storm threatens mudslides and power outages.
  • El Dorado, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, and Alameda counties have issued evacuation warnings or recommendations for some areas due to possible flooding and other safety risks as forecasters warned of swelling rivers.
  • The San Lorenzo River in Santa Cruz County has risen 14 feet in just over four hours and is in major flood stage.
  • A moderate risk – level 3 of 4 – of excessive rainfall covers over 26 million people in the state, including in San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, and Fresno, where rain could fall at 1 inch per hour.
  • Rain totals could reach two to four inches over most areas and could be more than eight inches along the coast and coastal ranges and along the western slope of the Sierra.
  • Parts of the higher elevations in the Sierra Nevada have gotten more than 8.3 feet of snow in the past few weeks.
  • Wind gusts topping 100 MPH were already reported across the region by early Monday morning, including a 132 MPH gust near Oroville, California.
  • California’s central coast could also be at risk of a tornado.
  • As of Monday morning, more than 138,000 are without power.
  • Late Sunday, President Biden approved California’s emergency declaration due to the atmospheric river storms, as requested by California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
  • At least 12 Californians have died from “storm-related impacts” such as flooding since late December.

Wildfire

• As of January 6, 2023, there are currently 0 large active wildfires that have burned 0 acres. As of January 9, 2023, 78 wildfires have burned 549 acres across the country.

Extreme Heat

• The heat wave in April 2021 triggered water shortages across 11 western states by accelerating snowmelt in mountain regions.
• The ongoing megadrought in the west and wildfire burn scars has caused a threat of deadly floods and mudslides as another atmospheric river storm hits California.
• Last Thursday, President Joe Biden signed water bills benefiting three indigenous tribes in Arizona.
  • The signed legislation gives leasing authority to the Colorado River Indian Tribes, approves a water rights settlement for the Hualapai Tribe, and authorizes additional funding to complete water projects for the White Mountain Apache Tribe.
• Groundwater resources in Boston’s fastest-growing suburbs could shrink up to 28% by the end of the century as climate change disrupts seasonal and annual aquifer recharge cycles.

New Reports and Data

• A January 2023 study found that the world could lose between 26% and 41% of its total glacier mass this century, depending on today’s climate change mitigation efforts.
• A January 2023 study found that spring sunny heat waves caused record snow melt in 2021, adding to severe water supply impacts across the western U.S.
• A December 2022 study found that New York City’s greenery – including previously unrecognized vegetation in backyards and on curbs – absorbs more of its carbon emissions than initially thought.