Biden visits hurricane-hit places in California
2023.01.19 07:52
Biden visits hurricane-hit places in California
By Ray Johnson
Budrigannews.com – On Thursday, Vice President Joe Biden will travel to California to tour areas that have been severely affected by a string of deadly “atmospheric river” storms. These storms caused widespread flooding, uprooted trees, and caused mudslides in a state that has been plagued by extreme drought for a long time.
Biden, who was traveling with FEMA chief Deanne Criswell, was scheduled to begin his visit in Santa Clara County and then fly by helicopter to other storm-ravaged areas south of San Francisco.
According to the White House, Governor Gavin Newsom and other elected officials would join Biden, who on Saturday authorized federal disaster assistance for three affected northern and central California counties.
At least two stops were planned along the Santa Cruz coast, where thousands of people were ordered to leave low-lying communities that were flooded by flash floods, high tides, and runoff from nearby mountains during the storms.
Biden planned to give a speech at Seacliff State Beach and Capitola, where he would meet with residents, business owners, leaders, and emergency response teams. The storms’ destructive force was clearly demonstrated by the twisted wreckage of wooden piers that were ripped apart along the waterfronts of both locations.
A barrage of nine storms that lasted for three weeks and were categorized as atmospheric rivers have been responsible for at least 20 deaths. Atmosphere-wide currents of dense moisture that were brought in from the Pacific and were powered by vast low-pressure systems that were churning offshore.
Climate change, according to experts, is making it harder to manage California’s precious water supplies while also reducing the risk of flooding and wildfires, as these storms punctuate extreme, prolonged droughts.
The most recent storms brought torrential downpours, which resulted in widespread flooding as well as hundreds of mudslides, rockfalls, and sinkholes throughout the state. These events engulfed automobiles, necessitated road closures, and even disrupted rail travel.
Due to repeated saturation, the risk of landslides increased by the week, with the majority of the damage occurring below hillsides and canyon slopes that had been cleared of vegetation and rendered unstable by previous wildfires.
Gale-force winds drove pounding surf into coastal areas, washing out seaside roads and wharves and uprooting thousands of drought-weakened trees in rain-soaked soil in addition to the onslaught of showers and heavy snow in the mountains.
Tens of thousands of Californians were without power as a result of the high winds’ destructive effects on the state’s power grid.
Even though the storms caused a lot of damage, they helped California get through a dry spell that lasted for the first time in four years. They filled some reservoirs that had been badly depleted as well as the Sierra Nevada snowpack, which is a crucial source of fresh water for the state.
However, experts have cautioned that the majority of the state is still experiencing moderate to severe drought conditions and that there is no guarantee that the remainder of California’s winter will see sufficient additional precipitation to sustain drought relief.
