Posted on 01/17/2011 7:11:09 AM PST by Sub-Driver
January 15, 2011 If Quakes Weren’t Enough, Enter the ‘Superstorm’ By FELICITY BARRINGER
SACRAMENTO — California faces the risk not just of devastating earthquakes but also of a catastrophic storm that could tear at the coasts, inundate the Central Valley and cause four to five times as much economic damage as a large quake, scientists and emergency planners warn.
The potential for such a storm was described at a conference of federal and California officials that ended Friday. Combining advanced flood mapping and atmospheric projections with data on California’s geologic flood history, over 100 scientists calculated the probable consequences of a “superstorm” carrying tropical moisture from the South Pacific and dropping up to 10 feet of rain across the state.
“Floods are as much a part of our lives in California as earthquakes are,” said Lucy Jones, the chief scientist for the United States Geological Survey’s multi-hazards initiative, adding, “We are probably not going to be able to handle the biggest ones.”
The geological survey estimates that such a storm could cause up to $300 billion in damage. The scientists’ models estimate that almost one-fourth of the houses in California could experience some flood damage from one.
The conference was convened by the geological survey, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the California Emergency Management Agency to help disaster-response planners draft new strategies to limit the storms’ impact.
Climate scientists have for years noted that the rising temperature of the earth’s atmosphere increases the amount of energy it stores, making more violent and extreme weather events more likely.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
No kidding!! Pure speculation and you can’t do anything about what they are talking about other then be prepared as best you can. And have a good solid relationship with God.
Phrenologists.......
Indeed, it's been said that Sacramento, CA is perhaps one big Pineapple Express storm from becoming totally flooded like New Orleans was after Katrina in 2005.
Yep. These once in a hundred years or once in a two hundred years storms happen. We had an ice storm like that back in 12/08 here in MA.
California and the nation is too broke to spend millions (billions??) on preparation for a theoretical storm that hasn’t happened in recorded history. Would you buy meteor insurance for your car if it was offerred? What if it “only” cost $1 a month? Our money needs to be spent on things that are happening or will certainly happen, rather than on these Chicken Little schemes.
I guess since the atmospheric temperature is NOT rising, they don't have anythimg to worry about.
Well, if they’re saying there’s going to be a ‘super storm’ then expect the exact opposite.
They’ve been watching too many mega disaster movie re-runs...
Al Gorebal will need help sand bagging his beach front mansion
Due to ailing granddaughter situation, wifey and I stayed at a La Quinta Inn smack dab by the Sacramento River....spooky, given that once you got on the third floor to peek over the levee, to find that should that levee burst, the river elevation was at about the second floor’s level.
A major storm DID happen, as the article stated in 1861-1862, but........there’s no way of telling if it will happen again or when. I agree with you when it comes to worrying about it the rest of our lives. If it happens, it happens and California will just have to dig its way out....just like everyone else. You can only prepare for so much and no matter how prepared you are, water can destroy everything you’ve done. In our area, the creek can get high enough for two or three days out of the year, that we can’t get out of here. We plan on that and also plan for three, four or five days. If the levies break in Sacramento, the whole city will be under water. They’ve known this for years and have done nothing about it. Now....they’ll have to pay for their lack of action if the big storms come.
...or worse yet, Californians could elect more democrats, costing them far more than the $300 billion that some natural disaster might cause...
...oh, wait...
The only think you can do is prepare the best you can, I wouldn’t rely on the gubmint for nuthin and leave the rest to God, or move. And in that case you will be moving somewhere else with different kind of potential for a different kind of disaster. In this life, on this earth the way things are, it’s hard to avoid it.
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