Atmospheric River continues to inundate Southern California with “High Risk” flooding conditions

LA-Rain-Chart

Important Takeaways:

  • Catastrophic flooding swamps Los Angeles area as deadly atmospheric river slams California
  • NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center has placed about 14 million people in Southern California, including Los Angeles, under a rare “high risk” of flash flooding as the storm has already dumped several inches of rain, with much more to come.
  • The “high risk” is the highest rung on NOAA’s flash flood threat scale and is only issued under the most dire of flooding forecasts. “Life-threatening flash and urban flash flooding possible in the high risk area,” the WPC said.
  • Los Angeles picked up 4.10 inches of rain on Sunday, which far exceeded the daily rainfall record for that date set in 1927, which was 2.55 inches.
  • California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a State of Emergency for several counties in California to help support storm response and recovery efforts.
  • The state had mobilized and prepositioned a record 8,500 emergency responders ready to respond to flooding, landslides and travel emergencies, according to the governor’s office.
  • The State of Emergency included Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties.
  • The atmospheric river storm had also prompted emergency officials in several areas to order evacuations and open emergency shelters for residents.
  • Several schools in the area were also closed because of the extreme weather event

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Power outage for 400,000 as evacuation orders are in effect for Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Ventura and Monterey

Atmospheric-River-science

Important Takeaways:

  • A winter storm brought intense downpours and strong winds to California on Sunday, leaving hundreds of thousands without power and flooding roadways across the state.
  • According to Accuweather, up to 37 million people, or about 94% of the state’s population, were at risk for life-threatening floods from the storm.
  • The National Weather Service issued a rare hurricane-force wind warning for the central coast on Sunday as wind gusts up to 92 mph were possible from the Monterey Peninsula to the northern section of San Luis Obispo County.
  • The atmospheric river was the second to hit the state in just a few days, although forecasters said Sunday’s storm would be the season’s most potent, particularly in Southern California.
  • Evacuation warnings and orders were in effect for Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Ventura and Monterey counties

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National Weather Service warning people to get prepared: Two atmospheric rivers targeting California

Pineapple-Express

Important Takeaways:

  • California gets slammed: More than 22 million risk flooding as Pineapple Express blasts the state with up to 10 inches of rain and 70 mph gusts: Water-covered roads snarl traffic in Los Angeles, San Diego
  • All lanes of the 710 Freeway at Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach have been closed, with numerous streets and highways inundated Thursday morning
  • The Golden State is expected to receive as much as ten inches of rain and upper-elevation mountain snow, coupled with winds of up to 70 mph
  • A Pineapple Express system is hitting the state, with a second wave expected over the weekend

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‘Brace for the worst’ blizzards, flooding, tornadoes, oh my

Storm-Finn-map

Important Takeaways:

  • Storm Finn set to sweep across the US bringing blizzards, flooding, tornadoes and freezing temperatures reaching -50 as 70million Americans brace for the worst
  • Around 70 million Americans are in the eye of Storm Finn, a massive weather system that will bring blizzards, tornadoes and frigid temperatures.
  • This new system comes with many still recovering from the effects of Storm Ember, which dumped over a foot of snow in parts of the north east.
  • The National Weather Service has warned that Finn could bring record-breaking Arctic conditions across the Plains and throughout the western part of the country with blizzards expected in Chicago and St. Louis.
  • Tornadoes are expected through the central Gulf, close to New Orleans and into the Florida Panhandle on Monday night, with warnings lasting until Tuesday morning. Heavy winds and hail are also expected in that region.

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Storm hits Florida with torrential downpour and 74mph winds knocking out power for 120,000

Palm-Beach-flooding

Important Takeaways:

  • ‘Hurricane equivalent’ winds and torrential rains leave more than 120,000 without power in Florida as more than 7million are under flood watch
  • Nearly 120,000 homes in Florida are without power after ‘hurricane’ level winds and torrential rain hit the state overnight.
  • Thousands of people have woken up in the dark across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach amid hurricane-force winds, with over 7 million people under flood watch.
  • The National Weather Service has called the wind speeds recorded in some of these areas ‘hurricane equivalent’, as they topped 74mph.
  • In an advisory, they said: ‘Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are expected.’
  • Forecasters have said that rainfall today will likely reach five to eight inches across Miami and the Fort Lauderdale areas of South Florida, with some areas being hit with 12 inches, according to Fox Weather.
  • Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had to declare a state of emergency as storms caused mass flooding, after they dumped two feet of rain in a matter of hours.

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Recovery teams assess losses after Libya’s catastrophic floods

Derna-Libya-Flooding

Important Takeaways:

  • As Storm Daniel pounded the area with torrential rains, dams above the Wadi Derna river valley collapsed, sweeping away entire neighborhoods and the families who lived in them.
  • The floods have left thousands dead, missing and displaced.
  • 16,000 children are among the displaced and warned that many more lack access to basic services such as health and schooling.
  • International and local search and rescue teams and survivors continued the work of recovery

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State of Emergency issued for NYC from heavy rain, flooding

NYC-flooding

Important Takeaways:

  • Heavy rain and flooding on Friday making for an extremely challenging and dangerous Friday morning commute and led to subway and rail service suspensions and the closure of a terminal at LaGuardia Airport.
  • Parts of New York City have already seen five inches of rain as of 11 a.m.
  • Flash flood warnings were issued for much of NYC and surrounding counties in New Jersey, the Hudson Valley and into Connecticut into the early afternoon, and were likely to be extended further.
  • Flooding is possible for much of the tri-state area as a result of the heavy rain, which comes as the ground is already water-logged due to the remnants of Ophelia that drenched the region last weekend.

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Tropical Rainstorm Ophelia brings hazardous conditions to the east coast

Tropical-Storm-Ophelia

Important Takeaways:

  • Ophelia wreaks havoc, causes washout in mid-Atlantic and Northeast
  • Despite losing wind intensity, Tropical Rainstorm Ophelia slowed its forward motion to a crawl, prolonging rainy weather, threats of flooding and coastal hazards in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
  • In New York City, travel advisories were issued on Sunday due to the “long-duration rainfall event,” and people living in basement apartments in flood-prone areas were warned by officials to be prepared to move to higher ground.
  • Strong winds cut power to tens of thousands of customers across North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey at the height of the storm over the weekend. Wind gusts as high as 80 miles per hour were measured in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.

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With thousands dead after disastrous floods, Libya’s new threat is water contamination

Search-for-bodies-Derna

Important Takeaways:

  • Health authorities have been sounding the alarm over the spread of waterborne diseases in the affected areas, particularly in the hard-hit city of Derna.
  • Experts have warned that floodwaters have severely contaminated water sources with sewage, rendering them unsafe for consumption and exposing communities to grave health risks.
  • The response has ranged from evacuating stranded residents and providing medical aid and essential supplies to securing safe water and sanitation equipment in order to prevent diseases from taking hold.
  • Aid groups are also calling people to avoid rushing towards mass burials or carrying out mass cremations
  • In a joint statement, the WHO and the ICRC said the bodies of victims of natural disaster “almost never” pose a health danger but also warned that “bodies should not be left in contact with drinking water sources” as they may leak feces that could lead to contamination.

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Weather events around the country are breaking records and costing billions: Seems like we’re in constant survival mode

Map-US-weather-damage

Important Takeaways:

  • The US has suffered a record 23-billion-dollar climate disasters so far this year costing an eye-watering $57.6 BILLION – as tornadoes, wildfires and flooding ravaged the nation
  • Hundreds of Americans have died due to climate catastrophes in 2023, which has already smashed records for the highest number of billion-dollar disasters incurred in a single year.
  • The National Center for Environmental Information has released eye-watering figures on the human and financial cost of recent weather events after Hurricane Idalia and the horrific Maui wildfires tipped the scales this year.
  • With four months still to go, the US has been struck by 23 disasters which came at a loss of at least $1 billion each – eclipsing the previous annual record of 22 events with a 10-figure price-tag in 2022.
  • Some 253 people perished in climate catastrophes this year, which have incurred a financial toll of $57.6 billion – and this expense doesn’t yet include Hurricane Idalia.
  • Adam Smith, the NOAA applied climatologist and economist said ‘I would not expect things to slow down anytime soon’

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