The golden state seems to not be so golden but instead gloomy. In late December and mid- January a storm occurred in California. Not just any storm but a winter storm. Who would expect such an intense and chilling storm to take place in one of the warmest states in the U.S. The residents of California were not expecting this extreme weather and were caught off-guard when it transpired. Scientists have been trying to figure out ways to be prepared for future storms. Although, it doesn’t seem like a great deal for an event like this to happen but many were affected.

To be precise, 20 peoples lives were claimed by the deadly and destructive storms. Critical community services including health care, child care and public transportation can be impacted. Roads and walkways became extremely dangerous, in result, more injuries and accidents occurred. 32 trillion gallons of water flooded part of coastal Highway 1 and the Central Coast. There were multiple evacuation warnings, trees fell down, high winds, freezing rain or sleet, heavy snowfall, and cold temperatures. Common power outages lasted for days and all of the damage is estimated to end up in the billions of dollars. 

Scientists predict that the sea level will rise to 2 to 7 feet on California’s coast by 2100. They find that the storm area will be increasing by about 22 percent. Precipitation will increase by about 19 to 20 percent. The wet and chilly start to the year does not seem to be changing any time soon. Also, climate change is dramatically increasing the risk of a catastrophic megaflood in California.