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Climate Change and California Flooding
California has long been a state plagued with drought. Yet, recent experiences of climate change induced California flooding, shattering past records, have led many to believe that climate change may indeed be responsible for the shift in weather pattern. California is looking like it might not be one of the best places to retire for climate change.
A Look At The Records
In the late February 2017, Northern California was hit with an immense winter storm, delivering over 18 inches of rainfall in the North Bay region alone. This broke all historical records, surpassing the old record of 13.46 inches set over a century ago during the winter of 1904.
Likewise, an extreme rainstorm flooded Marysville in late January 2017. A rain gauge set to measure 2-inch rains all of a sudden began tipping past 10 inches, as Marysville set a new record with 10.3 inches of rains in a single day.
Overall, January 2017 marked the second wettest month with a record breaking 10.39 inches of rain.
Climate Change: To Blame or Not To Blame
It is easy to attribute California’s extreme rainfall to climate change. However, it takes more than evidence of harsh weather to prove climate change. There could be numerous natural explanations that can account for the heavy rainfall, without having anything to do with climate change.
Some of these explanations include natural oscillation or oceanic anomalies like El Nino, whereby water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean become elevated. Nevertheless, there is much greater evidence that can now definitively be used to link extreme weather events such as California’s recent floods with climate change.
California Flooding Evidence Showing Unlikely Patterns
A study published in Nature Communications journal in October 2017 concluded that the weather event responsible for February’s flood was nearly 20 times more likely to occur today than in the pre-industrial era.
The authors also revealed that climate change has likely played a role in lengthening the rain season in California by 2 to 3 weeks, exacerbating the amount of rainfall seen over the course of a month.
Moreover, new research has found links between global warming and intensified storms. Since warmer air can hold more moisture, it can lead to heavier rains. Warmer temperature is also likely to increase winter storms by 3-59 percent, resulting in even more downpour.
Feedback Loops And More Floods
When it comes to global warming, the term “feedback loop” is occasionally used. It often describes the chain of events that lead to further warming and exacerbates the problem. In the case of flooding events, the aftermath can lead to a similar scenario.
For example, the floods prevent vegetation from soaking in the rain, resulting in the water’s transpiration blocking further absorption into soil. The water would then be washed away and runoff, and eventually end up in rivers. Such feedback loops can result in far more frequent floods, washing away valuable properties and homes.
Risky Decisions At Hand For Climate Change
The devastating effects of flooding on human lives can range from loss of property to the community’s health. As according to a recent survey, residents in the affected Northern California region reported a marked decrease in mental and physical health due to the floods.
It is therefore of upmost importance for officials to get a better understanding of how climate change may exacerbate flooding, and factoring in climate change predictions while making infrastructure, emergency preparedness and safety decisions.
Ultimately, instead of putting up temporary barriers that give only short-term protection against floods, a better long-term incentive for California would be to focus on resilience building and adaptation rather than mitigation.
Conclusion
Climate change has been a controversial subject for many years. Yet, California’s recent experience with extreme flooding has put it in sharp focus. With the studies and evidence discussed above, its necessary to look more closely at the role of climate change in extreme weather events.
As California’s flooding season is believed to begin in late December and end in early March, it is essential to start being better prepared for potential floods and plan accordingly.
Now more than ever is the time to come together, brainstorm and take preventative measures for the future.