Editorial

The last winter season has witnessed unprecedented weather conditions across the state of California, driven by a series of over 30 atmospheric river storms from October through March. The impact is two-sided. On one hand, the aquatic deluge has brought much-needed rain and snow to the drought-stricken state, hence alleviating the ongoing multi-year drought in California. The laden snowpack in the Sierra Nevada mountains is also critical for the state's water supply, as it melts in the spring and summer to provide water for agriculture and cities. On the other hand, the storms have dealt a severe impact on life and property. Heavy rain and snowfall bring potential hazards such as flooding, landslides, and mudslides. 41 of California’s 58 counties have been placed under a federal emergency declaration, while 3 of them have been bucketed under a major disaster declaration. Within a 3-week period following Christmas 2022, an estimated 32 trillion gallons of water fell across California, which could fill the state’s largest reservoir, Shasta Lake, approximately 21 times.