Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Another Wet Year Is Likely
Grey floodwaters rise halfway up the trunks of trees in an orchard on a farm in Tulare County in California's Central Valley.
(
Patrick T. Fallon
/
AFP via Getty Images
)
Topline:
We’re likely in for another wet year — possibly an even wetter winter than last year. That’s due to the El Niño climate pattern, which could become a Super El Niño. On Tuesday, state water managers said they plan to spend some $50 million in the next few months to repair damage to flood control systems from last year’s storms and shore up other infrastructure to prepare.
What’s next: Officials from the California Department of Water Resources said they’re in the process of releasing water from reservoirs to make room for more this winter. And they said they’re hosting preparation meetings with local communities that were hardest hit last year, including in Ventura and Riverside counties.
Potential big impacts to coast: Coastal communities could see some of the biggest impacts, said Gary Lippner, deputy director of the state’s flood management and dam safety programs. El Niño often means bigger storm surges and higher than normal sea levels, which worsen erosion and flooding.
Support for LAist comes from
The current state of water: While most reservoirs across the state are at above average levels for this time of year, and groundwater basins have also seen big improvements, state officials say we still need a few more wet years to fully replenish those underground basins, both locally and in the Central Valley.
Go Deeper:
LA Is Capturing More Rain, But Increasingly Extreme Storms Present A Challenge
Land Of Fire And Flood: How The Climate Crisis Is Challenging Our Water Supply
LA Is At Greater Risk Of Flooding Than Previously Thought, Particularly In Black Communities
From Drought to Deluge: The Story of the Biggest, Wettest Winter in Western History
The Push To Reimagine LA's Streets And Alleyways To Fight Both Drought And Floods
Support for LAist comes from
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity. -
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
-
The drug dealer, the last of five defendants to plead guilty to federal charges linked to the 'Friends' actor’s death, will face a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.
-
The weather’s been a little different lately, with humidity, isolated rain and wind gusts throughout much of Southern California. What’s causing the late-summer bout of gray?
Best of LAist