Wednesday Top of the Scroll: As atmospheric rivers become more frequent, California expands research to prepare
A new law expanding California’s atmospheric river research program goes into effect next year. It connects flood and reservoir control operations with new technologies and strategies that can help operators accurately predict the arrival of these storms. California first established the program in 2015. It’s allowed officials to better understand — and respond to — the intense storms that are a regular part of wet years in the state. In January [2015], a series of atmospheric rivers hit California hard, causing intense flooding, power outages and evacuations throughout the state. But although these storms can have devastating effects, they also crucially feed into California’s water supply.
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