When will California’s ‘relentless parade’ of storms end?
Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Wednesday, Jan. 11. I’m Ryan Fonseca and much of California remains a wet mess this week.
The latest barrage of stormy weather — part of what the National Weather Service called a “relentless parade of atmospheric rivers” moving through California — brought heavy rain, jaw-dropping flooding and mudslides. The storms downed trees and knocked out power to tens of thousands.
In some parts of the state, rainfall totals have been 400% to 600% above average over the past several weeks. The latest estimates put the damages at $1 billion.
The storms have also been deadly. As of Tuesday evening, an estimated 17 people have died. My colleagues Terry Castleman, Hayley Smith and Grace Toohey are reporting on those victims.
That’s more lives lost “than wildfires in the past two years combined,” according to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office.
“Our message to Californians is simple: be hyper-vigilant,” Newsom said in a statement. “There are still several days of severe winter weather ahead and we need all Californians to be alert and heed the advice of emergency officials.”
By now you’ve seen the footage on social media showing flooded streets, landslides, sinkholes and more.
The Santa Cruz area was hit hard when the San Lorenzo River flooded. High winds also sent tree tops flying into homes. Storm surge also destroyed part of the Capitola Pier.
There was even a pair of tornado warnings overnight Tuesday in the Modesto and Rancho Calaveras area. The entire town of Planada was put under evacuation orders Tuesday morning as streets flooded with murky water.
You know it’s a serious downpour when the Los Angeles River actually looks like a river. Rainfall also caused flooding at L.A.’s Union Station, in Studio City and other neighborhoods.
So when will the rain let up? Parts of the state were expected to get a “brief break” from rainfall Tuesday night but yet another atmospheric river is forecast to move through Northern California beginning today. That system is expected to then move north into Oregon and Washington. Rain will continue dousing the state through the weekend.
But more storm systems — at least three more —are expected to move through the state into next week. Forecasters say the skies could clear sometime around Jan. 19.
So keep your rain boots and umbrellas handy, and it won’t hurt to follow the latest storm updates from the National Weather Service and your local emergency officials on social media.
And given California’s car dependency, my colleague Jessica Roy put together some tips for driving in heavy rain. The best advice: don’t.
And now, here’s what’s happening across California:
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L.A. STORIES
The L.A. County Board of Supervisors declared a state of emergency over the homelessness crisis, and now the clock starts. County officials with the Homeless Initiative have two weeks to report back to the board on how to cut red tape and speed up services. Los Angeles Times
Brace for a steep gas bill, Southern Californians. Southern California Gas Co. and San Diego Gas & Electric are warning customers that their January natural gas bills could double. The utilities cite falling inventories, supply constraints and an unseasonably colder winter in the region. Los Angeles Times
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POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT
Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing cuts to climate change programs as the state prepares for a budget deficit. His administration points to high inflation, the Federal Reserve raising interest rates and a volatile stock market. Los Angeles Times
Rep. Katie Porter has announced a bid for Dianne Feinstein’s Senate seat. “I think that people understand that Washington is broken and they see it caters to billionaires, powerful corporations and special interests, and in doing that leaves families behind and threatens our democracy,” Porter said in a telephone interview. Los Angeles Times
To win the votes he needed to become speaker of the House, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) had to agree to a series of rule changes that weakened his power. Times’ reporters Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu and Jon Healey break down the four key concessions. Los Angeles Times
If a tree falls in the city, who pays for it? One couple in San Francisco found out they were on the hook after a tree toppled from a small piece of land they didn’t even know they owned. San Francisco Chronicle
CALIFORNIA CULTURE
The lineup for the 2023 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is out and it marks some historic firsts for the popular event. Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny, K-pop girl group Blackpink and R&B icon Frank Ocean are slated to headline the festival, which will run the weekends of April 14-16 and 21-23. It’s the first time the festival will be headlined entirely by nonwhite artists. Los Angeles Times
Like the work it houses, the state of the Orange County Museum of Art’s recently opened new home is open to interpretation. Here’s what Times’ columnist Carolina A. Miranda sees: an unfinished and “messy” museum. Los Angeles Times
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CALIFORNIA ALMANAC
Los Angeles: mostly sunny, 61. San Diego: mostly sunny, 63. San Francisco: rain and breezy, 68. San Jose: rain, 57. Fresno: chance of showers and patchy fog, 54. Sacramento: showers, 49.
AND FINALLY
It’s been great to see the growing number of California landmarks that you’ve shared with us and what they mean to you. Keep them coming!
Today’s landmark love: Morro Bay, submitted by Dennis Johnson of Visalia.
Dennis writes:
I loved Morro Bay and its iconic rock even before learning the depth of my family’s history there. My great grand uncle owned the pier in the 1920s before the north end of the bay was filled in to create the harbor. My grandfather worked for his uncle on the pier and on his boats, fishing to feed his family. My mother was born there during the Depression and grew up living in a farmworker camp on Morro Creek. Years later we kept a small sailboat anchored in the bay and enjoyed many days and evenings with this iconic rock always in view.
What are California’s essential landmarks? Fill out this form to send us your photos of a special spot in California — natural or human-made. Tell us why it’s interesting and what makes it a symbol of life in the Golden State. Please be sure to include only photos taken directly by you. Your submission could be featured in a future edition of the newsletter.
Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments to [email protected].
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