Newsom declares state of emergency for California ahead of super El Niño storm season
By Kate S. Petersen, Andrew Freedman, CNN
(CNN) — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday declared a state of emergency for California to mobilize resources ahead of a potentially historic super El Niño storm season this winter.
California is likely to be an epicenter for this historically intense El Niño in the US. Strong El Niño events, such as the one revving up in the tropical Pacific, have rarely spared the Golden State from significant and damaging consequences.
The proclamation will allow the state to “move faster to protect communities, stage critical resources, and strengthen readiness before severe weather intensifies,” according to a news release from the governor’s office.
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California has already seen sea levels rise due to the climate cycle and could see more serious impacts when the event is expected to peak this winter. The state is likely to experience hazards ranging from widespread coastal flooding to heavy rain at lower elevations and mountain snows.
Extensive coastal flooding is almost guaranteed, scientists say. Towering waves generated by intense Pacific storm systems, their heights amplified by El Niño, could erode parts of the fragile coastline and shut down crucial coastal transportation arteries.
These El Niño-related hazards are baked into the forecast regardless of where any intense Pacific storms eventually track, since El Niño increases coastal water levels on top of already rising sea levels from climate change.
To make matters worse, this year’s El Niño comes at the peak of an 18-year high-tide cycle — a natural, astronomical event that will make King Tides even higher than they otherwise would be, according to Patrick Barnard, research director at the Center for Coastal Climate Resilience at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
El Niño is also able to make waves, themselves, more intense. Barnard said studies have shown that Pacific storms generate about 30% more wave energy during an El Niño year compared to a year without the climate cycle. Some past Super El Niño years, like the 2015-to-2016 event, showed even higher increases in wave energy of up to 50%, he said.
According to Barnard, the expected increase in coastal water levels during this El Niño — from six inches to a foot — would threaten an additional 170,000 people and an additional $60 billion in property, compared to a non-Super El Niño year.
“We are preparing for this El Niño early because every Californian deserves to be safe in their home, connected to their community, and protected when severe weather comes,” Newsom said in the news release.
The proclamation directs state agencies to begin preparing by staging emergency supplies, including flood-fighting and snow-removal equipment, coordinating with local and tribal governments on public safety efforts and preparing roads and infrastructure.
Studies have found that strong El Niños are correlated with heavier-than-average precipitation across the state. The El Niño-connected storms could combine with the higher-than-average storm-connected waves to manifest hazards such as flooding, mudslides and landslides.
The proclamation also “prepares the California National Guard to support flood response, search-and-rescue, engineering, and logistics missions when needed.”
There is a 75% chance this super El Niño will become the strongest since records began in 1950, according to the latest forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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