California’s ‘Big One’ could be massive ‘superstorm’ that floods state: scientists

[Joanne98]

The planet's rising temperatures mean California is at greater risk of a "superstorm" that could flood the state's Central Valley, causing damage that would dwarf even a major earthquake, scientists have warned.

At a conference in Sacramento last week, 117 researchers brought together to study flooding risks in California presented a chilling model they say could become a distinct possibility: A winter storm that brings warm South Pacific air over parts of California, creating an "atmospheric river" that could bring 10 feet of rain over 40 days, flooding large tracts of the state and bringing flood water to nearly a quarter of the state's homes.

Such a storm could bring water into California at a rate equivalent to that of 50 Mississippi rivers, the climate model projected.

As sensational as that scenario sounds, researchers say it's based in historical reality: Such storms have hit California before, most notably in 1861 and 1862, when floods turned a 300-mile stretch of the Central Valley into a lake. The New York Times reports

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/01/big-one-massive-superstorm/

[Botany]

1. Steely Dan My old School

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz5iDa7tL34

California tumbles into the sea
That'll be the day I go
Back to Annandale
Tried to warn you
About Chino and Daddy Gee
But I can't seem to get to you
Through the U.S. Mail
Well I hear the whistle but I can't go
I'm gonna take her down to Mexico
She said oh no
Guadalajara won't do

[whathehell]

2. Damn!...Thanks for the great "wake up" song...Great tune..Great band!

:thumbsup:

[Joanne98]

3. I love Steely Dan

[Auggie]

4. Levee update repair according to the state dept. of water rescources:

... On February 24, 2006, following sustained heavy rainfall and runoff, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a State of Emergency for California's levee system, commissioning up to $500 million of state funds (AB142) to repair and evaluate State/federal project levees. This declaration was a necessary step in preventing possible catastrophic consequences of hurricane Katrina-like proportion.

SNIP

To date, nearly 300 levee repair sites have been identified, with more than 100 of the most critical sites having already been completed with AB142 funds. Repairs to others are either in progress or scheduled to be completed in the near future, and still more repair sites are in the process of being identified, planned, and prioritized.

MORE: http://www.water.ca.gov/levees/

The state has taken some action. Is it enough?

[FirstLight]

5. ...and the beat goes on...

I read the book version of "An Inconvenient Truth" recently, and what pisses me off the most is that it came out in 2006...and still nothing, nada, no actual action to shift our behavior...

we are destined to be victims of our own arrogance...

[DCKit]

6. 40 days of rain... somehow that sounds familiar. nt

[ThoughtCriminal]

7. 40 days of rain? Sounds familiar

Must be from Prop 8 getting overturned.
Wait - didn't God promise a different hit next time?

[LuckyLib]

8. The rest of the country will feel it in a drastic reduction in fresh fruit and vegetables.

[Kablooie]

9. If you are interested, here is an original NY Times article from Feb. 1862

http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0C14F73A5B1B7493C5AB1789D85F468684F9&pagewanted=1

[Scottybeamer70]

10. Another tax!!

I'm sure it will be another excuse to implement a "special flood tax".