USGS Remote Sensing Data Tracks Coastal Erosion from California Storms – USGS

Views of the Santa Cruz, California coast before (Sept. 13, 2022) and after (Jan. 5, 2023) the powerful storms of early January 2023. (by USGS, public domain)

The USGS has collected and released topographic data that show the erosional effects of the January 2023 storms on the coast for the Santa Cruz region of California…Comparing the data with pre-storm conditions mapped in September 2022 provide “before” and “after” perspectives of the effects of the January storms. These data have been released under USGS Emergency Use Data authorities for data that have immediate or time-sensitive relevance to public health and safety…

Why California Is Being Deluged by Atmospheric Rivers – Scientific American

California has been hit by repeated storms fueled by torrents of moisture called atmospheric rivers that will only intensify in a warming climate

California is taking a beating from what the National Weather Service has called a “seemingly never ending parade” of strong storm systems, which started late last December and are still coming. Called atmospheric rivers, they are long, narrow currents of exceptionally wet air that shoot across the ocean, capable of dumping massive volumes of rain or snow on landfall. Although these storms deliver much of the West’s precipitation, they also cause most of the region’s flooding, with associated economic damages as high as $1 billion a year…

How Much Will These Storms Help Relieve California’s Drought? – the New York Times

Caples Lake, High Sierra Nevada (by Tom Christensen CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 via Flickr).

All the rain and snow are undoubtedly good news for California’s water supply, but they’re unlikely to end the drought altogether.

If you’re looking for a silver lining to the punishing storms sweeping California, look no further than the state’s snowpack.

As of Tuesday, California’s mountain snow held more than twice the water content that’s considered average for this time of year…

Latest atmospheric river takes aim at San Francisco Bay Area; more flooding possible: California storm updates – USA Today

A cyclist tries to keep the rain at bay on Wednesday while pedaling on River Street in Santa Cruz © 2023 Shmuel Thaler - Santa Cruz Sentinel

While Southern California’s famous sunshine was finally making a return appearance Wednesday, the region’s counterparts to the north were not as fortunate as rain continued to pelt large swaths of water-logged terrain.  

“The atmospheric river has refocused over northern and central California,” the National Weather Service said. “Heavy rain on saturated soils and gusty winds may lead to flooding and damaged or downed trees and power outages…”

Storm-ravaged California scrambles as fresh atmospheric river rolls in – the Guardian

California Governor Gavin Newsom visits storm-ravaged Capitola Village, CA 1/10/23 © 2023 Shmuel Thaler - Santa Cruz Sentinel

Newest round of storms are expected to produce torrential downpours and gale force winds along the northern coast

California is facing a new round of brutal storms that will bring torrential downpours and gale force winds in the north as the state scrambles to clean up and repair widespread damage amid a break in the weather.

The state has been ravaged by a relentless string of storms that have killed at least 17 people..

California storm damage could top $1 billion – the New York Times

Kitchen manager Josh Whitby inspects the wreckage of Zelda's on the Beach Thursday afternoon in Capitola Village after the restaurant sustained major damage from the storm © 2023 Shmuel Thaler - Santa Cruz Sentinel

Major weather disasters have been striking the United States much more often in recent years as the global climate changes.

The damage from weeks of storms and flooding in California could exceed a billion dollars, according to the state’s emergency agency and private weather forecasters. That toll comes on the heels of 2022, one of the worst on record for large-scale weather and climate disasters around the United States..

Soaked and Battered by Repeating Rainstorms, California Girds for More – the New York Times

Powerful waves continue to batter the Capitola Wharf Thursday morning after the storm destroyed a section of the structure © 2023 Shmuel Thaler - Santa Cruz Sentinel

Extreme weather has plagued many parts of the country this fall and winter. But few places have been as ravaged by the changing climate these last weeks as California.

An unrelenting series of pounding storms over at least 11 days has left no part of California untouched — flooding towns from north to south, loading inland mountains with snow and transforming the often dry Los Angeles River into a raging channel…

In Santa Cruz, the deluge came from the skies and the sea – The Washington Post

Waves breaking along Westcliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA © 2023 Gary Griggs

The California college town has faced wildfires in recent years. Now it’s adjusting to the reality of floods.
The surfers were loving it.
A set of waves was breaking Sunday just offshore from the main beach in this college town known for its mountain biking, laid-back atmosphere and famous surf spots. This wasn’t one of them, though. A parade of rainstorms had swelled the San Lorenzo River, pushing heaps of sand out of its mouth and building up a sandbar that was kicking up near-perfect waves…