‘Pineapple Express’ Storm Rolls Over California, Causing Massive Floods
After being slammed for being on vacation during last major storm, Gov. Newsom gets emergency declaration approved and wisely nixes permit requirements to store rainwater.
The “Pineapple Express,” a mighty and massive atmospheric river, rolled over California this weekend, sparking warnings of widespread flash flooding.
Up to nine inches (23 centimeters) of rain were expected in some parts of the state, with several feet of heavy, wet snow falling over mountains where a huge snowpack has built up over months of near-record storms.
Forecasters said the Pineapple Express—so called because it is bringing warm, subtropical moisture from Hawaii—could cause some of that monster snowpack to melt, overwhelming river systems.
“Rainfall totals of 4-9 inches, atop areas with saturated soil and deep snowpack will cause widespread and severe flooding impacts,” the National Weather Service (NWS) warned.
“Higher elevations in northern California and the Sierras will receive a heavy, wet snow leading to difficult travel.”
A snowstorm in late February created massive snowpacks, up to 10 feet in some areas, sealing residents in cabins and leading to the deaths of up to 11 people. Governor Gavin Newsom was slammed for being away on a personal trip during this crisis.
It’s unclear where Newsom traveled as his office does not comment on such matters due to what they say are security concerns, however the governor reportedly left California on Wednesday after a visit to the Diablo Canyon power plant in Avila Beach.
“Californians are trapped in their homes without power. More storms are on the way. And Governor Newsom has just left the state for ‘personal travel,’” Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., said in a Thursday tweet.
In another tweet, Kiley called on Acting Democratic Gov. Eleni Kounalakis “to immediately seek a Major Disaster Declaration from the President,” noting that some Californians affected by the storms had no power and were short on supplies.
He acted quickly on this issue once he returned.
On Wednesday, Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency in 21 counties across the state, adding to the list of 13 initial counties that were already proclaimed at the beginning of March.
A release from Newsom’s office said that if the presidential emergency declaration was approved, it would enable impacted counties to immediately access direct federal assistance to help protect public safety and property.
Generators, road clearance equipment and potential sheltering are some of the benefits of direct federal assistance.
The declaration has now been approved.
New: President Biden has approved Gov. Newsom’s request for a presidential emergency declaration in dozens of California counties in response to winter storms.
Federal govt will now help coordinate disaster response and emergency resources in California.
— Ashley Zavala (@ZavalaA) March 10, 2023
Newsom smartly waived permits that would normally be required for recharging underground basins with rainwater.
To pull water from the state’s network of rivers and canals for groundwater recharge, state law requires a permit from the State Water Resources Control Board and Department of Fish and Wildlife. Many local agencies lacked the permitting during January storms, but this month’s atmospheric rivers and near record snowpack promises new opportunities to put water underground.
Newsom’s executive order eliminated the need for a water rights permit for groundwater recharge if the land meets specific environmental conditions between March 10 and June 1. It also waives the need for a permit from the Department of Fish and Wildlife to alter a lake or stream bed.
Meanwhile, a Northern California agricultural community was forced to evacuate early Saturday after the Pajaro River’s levee was breached by flooding.
Across the Central Coast’s Monterey County, more than 8,500 people were under evacuation orders and warnings Saturday, including roughly 1,700 residents — many of them Latino farmworkers — from the unincorporated community of Pajaro.
Officials said the Pajaro River’s levee breach is about 100 feet (30.48 meters) wide. Crews had gone door to door Friday afternoon to urge residents to leave before the rains came but some stayed and had to be pulled from floodwaters early Saturday.
First responders and the California National Guard rescued more than 50 people overnight.
One has to wonder if Los Angeles will continue policing sprinklers this year.
Tremendous rains and snowfall since late last year have freed half of California from drought, but low groundwater levels remain a persistent problem, U.S. Drought Monitor data showed Thursday.
The latest survey found that moderate or severe drought covers about 49% of the state, nearly 17% of the state is free of drought or a condition described as abnormally dry. The remainder is still abnormally dry.
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They need to stop naming thunderstorms and cold fronts as if they were hurricanes. It’s ridiculous.
I wonder if it is an insurance thing about “named storms”.
It’s about ginning up fear of the ‘climate catastrophe’ in the moronic youth who have swallowed the Marxist spooge
You’re messing with an old tradition, the Pineapple Express submerged parts of Santa Cruz in 1955 – I was there – and you might as well take it with a grin. Named storms are fine for them east coast nerds, they don’t know any better.
It’s needlessly racist and homophobic.
It should be referred to as the “Non-Temperate Zone Fruit Exprxn.”
Damn citric supremacists.
“Pineapple Express” is an old and common term to describe large storms that originate around Hawaii and then hit the West Coast. The new climate-change-friendly term is “atmospheric river” because that makes it sound new and dangerous and not something that has been going on for the last 10,000 years (I’ll assume that they started right after the Ice Age ended.) Here in Portland they usually bring in about 2-3 inches of rain in a couple of days, and like the current one, air temps rise dramatically. Our overnight air temps went up 15 degrees, compared to a few days ago where we have been at 35 with intermittent snow for the last few weeks. Juan Brown at “blancolirio” youtube channel lives near and flies over the Oroville Reservoir quite often so he is a great on the ground source to these storm systems.
You’re right, but this isn’t that. This isn’t a name for an individual storm, but a long-standing name for a regular phenomenon, like El Niño and La Niña.
So, in fiscal 2022-23, California racked up an almost $100 billion surplus, but now they have to wait till Ole Uncle Joe signs an emergency declaration to provide emergency assistance to its citizens? Whose pockets ended up stuffed with those dollars?
And is there anything California doesn’t require permits for? Recharging ground water?
Isn’t it Virginia that taxes rainwater?
Virginia actually provides a tax credit for collecting rainwater. At least according to:
https://worldwaterreserve.com/is-it-illegal-to-collect-rainwater/
Ahh.
Contra Colorado where All Your Water Are Belong to Us.
So, in fiscal 2022-23, California racked up an almost $100 billion surplus
You hadn’t noticed that Newsom’s Follies are now entering a massive deficit, and those prosperous citizens who are zoned in California law as targets for tax-looting are busily leaving the State?
I still want to know where that massive surplus went.
Gavin is trying to build his credentials to run for President.
Wait, what? A permit is required to use runoff to refill groundwater basins? That’s ridiculous in and of itself, but apparently agencies didn’t actually have such permits, IN JANUARY? And apparently they still don’t have such permits, so Newsom had to waive the requirement! I guess they don’t understand that whatever rain CA gets, it comes in winter. Why is it not SOP to obtain such permits every year before winter, or better yet, simply eliminate them? How much water is lost due to lack of permits, which are just paper shuffling between government agencies.
Permits are a huge money maker for the state and, more importantly for the leftists, yet another means of letting the people know they are under the thumb.
Rainwater harvesting is very interesting. If you live in Colorado, the people in CA have more rights to the rain falling on your roof than you do. Here in Portland, though, it is encouraged to avoid excess runoff into the Willamette. I had $25 taken off my water and sewer bill evey quarter because I removed my downspouts and diverted the water first into 55 gal drums, and then cycled through a 1500 ga pond, which was distributed on my property by diverting the water from the waterfall system. As much as I enjoyed the pond, there is nothing better than NOT giving money to .gov It is noon in PDX and we have gotten 1.25″ of rain since midnight from this storm system. Hopefully it doesn’t repeat the storms of 1996 where the warm rain melted the snowpack prematurely.
Wait, what? A permit is required to use runoff to refill groundwater basins?
The State Water Board in Sacramento has been on a dictatorial rampage for years, and OF COURSE they require permits for practical acts such as recharging the ever-deepening groundwater levels.
Incidentally, that Water Board built and operates the Oroville Dam and reservoir – the one that nearly collapsed in 2017 when its spillway came apart.
So President Rutabaga swiftly approved an emergency request for California’s storm but refused a request from Ohio for the disaster in East Palestine? Thank goodness no politics was involved!
Kind of a head-scratcher, isn’t it?
I hope that Guv Newsome is prioritizing relief to POC and the LGBTQ+ communities. To do otherwise would be clear evidence of systemic racism!
The California climate continues to not change. It is either drought the news people expect to last forever or floods and mudslides. Just as it ever was.
Read a while back, that back in 2014 kalipornia set aside $4B to build more reservoirs….Well to date they have built exactly zero
On the plus side, at least the streets will get a long overdue washdown.
It’s disgusting to think what is being washed out to sea though.
Note to self: avoid Salmon for the next 6 months.
Here in central-upper northern california near Oroville reservoir – overflow canals are running clear and swift but not at flood stage. Not even close. Clear water means melting snow and low soil erosion.
Newsome and the democrats are hostile to agriculture. They hate all but wine grape growers. Of course. Republicans still control counties north of Sacramento valley and some mountain regions – but are squishy and listen to the large Ag co-opt growers – I think not a few of the growers are leftists but use the squish republicans to protect their water rights (which they sometimes abuse and sometimes not.) Some of the family owned 900+ acre almond-walnut growers are fabulously wealthy. Rice, too. Fig-prune and peach growers are Indian and pretty high tech.
Rep. Hank Johnson fears CA may collapse into the Pacific Ocean.
As opposed to the vast numbers of us who fear it may not.
Ha Ha Ha LOLOLOLOLOLOL
I’m pretty sure a “pineapple” is a pacific islander of some kind, as of the 60s-70s. Not a slur exactly, just a reference to the natives of whatever region it was. Hard to google. I think they cleaned out a lot of ordinary things now forbidden.
Unilke Oreo, Twinkie, coconut, and apple, it’s difficult to hang a slur on pineapple because they’re yellow all the way through.
So, when is the Emergency Declaration going to be declared for East Palenstine or did I miss it? Of course, they voted for Trump so foot dragging for those flyover MAGA hicks is in order.
Too bad Cali has blocked every new reservoir because Environment!. Imagine if all that water could be stored somehow.
This years “Atmospheric River” is last years “Bomb Cyclone” which was the years before “Polor Vortex” which was the years before “El Nina” and so on and so on with the latest and greatest climate hysteria.
Couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of leftists. If the People’s Democratic Socialist Republic of Kalifornia (PDSRofK) slides off into the Pacific, it can’t come soon enough.
Then again, by doing so may pollute the Pacific, so the epa will likely get involved.