California is preparing for a possibly historic El Nino this winter. Forecasts warn of heavy rain, floods, landslides and huge waves along the coast. As the weather pattern grows stronger, officials are getting ready for its possible impact on the state.
What is the forecast?
This is on top of the 8 to 12 inches of rise caused by climate change over the last century, said state climatologist Michael Anderson. Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on September 21, the order is meant to bring supplies to communities before the extreme weather hits. Some effects have already started. As per The Guardian , before this year the US National Weather Service had never issued a September coastal flood advisory for the San Francisco Bay Area. In the past month, it has issued two. Los Angeles and San Diego are expected to face a higher risk of extreme rainfall. As per The Guardian, the effects of El Nino will add an extra foot of sea level rise in California. It also gets the National Guard ready to help with flood response and search and rescue.
John O’Brien, a climate scientist at the Heising-Simons Foundation, said: “The odds of an average winter are very low. Emergency planners and researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography told ABC News that coastal communities like Malibu, Seal Beach, Oceanside, Encinitas, Carlsbad and Del Mar could face high surf, beach erosion and unusual sea-level changes. State agencies have been told to get roads and key infrastructure ready.
