Why Every California Resident Could Be In Imminent Danger
Scientists are preparing for the occurrence of a California superstorm, which could put every resident of the state in imminent danger.
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California is constantly under threat of some type of natural disaster. Whether it’s the state’s largest cities lying on the San Andreas faultline, the sporadic mudslides, or the yearly forest fires, it appears that residents can’t catch a break. Alongside these disasters, many believe that a California superstorm is on its way, with some state leaders already preparing for its occurrence.
In the highly populated state of California lies a small town called Firebaugh. The town is less than an hour west of Fresno and a couple of hours south of San Fransisco. Located in the Central Valley, the town has a beautiful view of the San Joaquin River and its surrounding nature. What’s not pretty is that the city manager believes a California superstorm is on its way. City manager Ben Gallegos is preparing the city for a torrential mega storm that would create more damage than the extensive droughts or fires the state is used to.
A superstorm or mega storm is a natural phenomenon formed by plumes of water vapor that construct thousands of miles off the shore. As they inch towards land, the storm picks up momentum, releasing rain and snow for weeks at a time that causes unconscionable flooding. The last California megaflood occurred in the 1860s, often known as the Great Flood of 1862. The flooding was so massive that the Sacramento area and San Joaquin valleys turned into temporary inland seas. The flooding was, in total, 300 miles long, which caused massive devastation to the communities in the area. Since these valleys have grown in population, a flood to this extent could be even more severe than the 1860s disaster.
Should people be worried about this impending California superstorm? While there’s no concluded prediction that a specific storm is coming toward California’s San Joaquin valley right now, climate change has picked up the pace for natural disasters worldwide. Scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles, agreed that the frequency of more powerful storms would increase as climate change persists. The consistency of rising temperatures means that superstorms could occur within 50 years of each other, instead of the previous 100 to 200 years.
Xingying Huang and Daniel Swain co-authored the study about the exponential increase of mega storms. Specifically, the study focuses on the likelihood of a California superstorm and a consequential flood. The study looks at two historically unprecedented floods between 2012 and 2021 that corroborate the scientists’ hypothesis. The evidence showcased a rising number of precipitation occurrences on the Pacific coast that can be detrimental to the state’s infrastructure and communities.
Gallegos is preparing Firebaugh for the California superstorm for safety reasons, but he also believes that his premature actions will help offset the state’s neglect of smaller communities. Gallegos believes that “$50 to $60 million to upgrade the levee” will likely go to more prominent, financially-rich cities like San Fransisco and Los Angeles, leaving many agricultural and working-class towns to fend for themselves. Though there’s no proof that this will happen in the future, smaller, lower-income communities are often an afterthought to federal and state governments in natural disaster scenarios.
