California flooding

A worker from the Coachella Valley Water Department surveys debris flowing across a road following heavy rains from Tropical Storm Hilary, in Rancho Mirage, Calif., on Monday.

National

Tropical Storm Hilary moves on from California, leaving a trail of damage and debris

3:12pm August 21, 2023

The first tropical storm to hit Southern California in more than 80 years sparked road closures, school cancellations and power outages on Sunday evening before moving north to Nevada.

Pipes direct water into an irrigation project held by the University of California. After a few decades of not enough water California water officials are scrambling to catch as much of this year's floodwaters as they can.

California wants to store floodwaters underground. It's harder than it sounds

8:28am May 24, 2023

Even during epic floods, California is trying to prepare for the next drought by capturing water from this year's epic winter storms.

In California's Central Valley, a long-disappeared lake has been resurrected. A power line dangles precariously over the edge of the water now filling the Tulare Lake Basin, and a building on the horizon is caught in the middle of the flood.

California's epic snowpack is melting. Here's what to expect

11:26am May 05, 2023

Warmer temperatures are melting the state's historic snowpack. Already flooded communities downstream are scrambling to prepare for the surge.

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The San Joaquin River has spread far beyond its banks as the snowpack melts in California's Sierra Nevada.

Environment

The latest to be evacuated from California's floods? Bunnies

2:25pm May 04, 2023

by Lauren Sommer

Rising rivers are stranding endangered riparian brush rabbits in California. Wildlife officials are searching out and relocating hundreds of them to help protect the species.

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Roads and infrastructure are increasing being overwhelmed by heavier rainfall, like the California Central Valley town of Planada in January. Most states still aren't designing water systems for heavier storms.

Environment

Federal climate forecasts could help prepare for extreme rain. But it's years away

1:32pm January 13, 2023

by Lauren Sommer

Thanks to a new federal law, cities will get better forecasts about how climate change intensifies rainstorms. Still, it won't be in time for billions of dollars of federal infrastructure spending.

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Most reservoirs aren't allowed to fill up in the winter, but Folsom Reservoir outside of Sacramento, California is using a new strategy to save more water by using weather forecasts.

Environment

Heavy rain is still hitting California. A few reservoirs figured out how to capture more for drought

5:11pm January 11, 2023

by Lauren Sommer

Decades-old rules mean most reservoirs aren't allowed to fill up in the winter. A new approach using weather forecasts is helping some save more water to help with California's drought.

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A house is partially underwater in Gilroy, Calif., on Monday.

National

A 5-year-old was swept away by floodwaters as California's heavy storms continue

12:00pm January 10, 2023

by Emily Olson

More than 200,000 residents are without power and thousands were ordered to evacuate after another powerful storm battered California on Monday. The death toll from recent storms is now up to 14.

More than 300 fires broke out in Northern California over the past week, leaving residents like Danielle Bryant waiting for updates and a change in the weather.

For Some California Residents, Latest Wildfires Are A Tipping Point

7:14pm October 31, 2019

by Lesley McClurg

Californians have been evacuated multiple times in recent years owing to smoke, fires, floods and power outages. Now people are reconsidering whether the state is the dream they had hoped for.

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A playground sits underwater in a flooded neighborhood in Guerneville, Calif.

National

Floods Turn Northern California Towns Into Islands: 'Our World Is Getting Smaller'

5:03pm February 28, 2019

by Bill Chappell

The Russian River's flood stage in Guerneville is 32 feet. But it reached nearly 46 feet Wednesday night. The National Weather Service predicted that major flood conditions will continue Thursday.

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Almost 200,000 people were ordered to evacuate after a hole in the emergency spillway in Northern California's Oroville Dam threatened to flood the surrounding area. Climate change could be a factor of extreme flooding in California.

With Climate Change, California Is Likely To See More Extreme Flooding

9:12am February 28, 2017

by Lauren Sommer

Dams and levees across California are straining to handle winter storms. The state's water system was designed a century ago, before climate change was an issue. Now, the system is being rethought.

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