Friday Top of the Scroll: California lowering dam water levels, warns of flood threat as storm hits
With back-to-back storms to hit California in the coming days, state officials are scrambling to make strategic releases from key reservoirs in hopes of preventing a repeat of the flooding that killed nearly two dozen people in January. At least 10 rivers are forecast to overflow from the incoming “Pineapple Express” storm, which is expected to drop warm, heavy, snow-melting rain as it moves from the Central Coast toward the southern Sierra beginning Thursday night into Saturday. Among them are rivers that flooded at the start of the year, when nine atmospheric river storms pummeled the state. The waterways include the Cosumnes River near Sacramento, where more than a dozen levee breaches sent floodwaters onto roadways and low-lying areas, trapping drivers and contributing to at least three deaths along Highway 99.
Related articles:
- Courthouse News Service: Reservoir releases underway as California braces for atmospheric rivers
- CalMatters: California storms create paradox – Too much water in reservoirs, too soon
- CBS – San Francisco: Millions face atmospheric river flood threat; Evacuations warnings issued in Santa Cruz County
- Sacramento Bee: California releases water from filling reservoirs. Is the drought over?
- Office of Gov. Gavin Newsom: Governor Newsom Requests Presidential Emergency Declaration to Support Storm Response
- NPR: California braces for atmospheric rivers which will likely cause more flooding
- San Francisco Chronicle: Pineapple Express storm slams into Bay Area flooding roads, toppling trees
- ABC – Sacramento: California Winter Storm - How much water is being release from Folsom Dam
- CNN: Rain rates in California during newest storm may reach 1 inch per hour
- ABC 30 – Fresno: Fresno Irrigation District working to handle water coming from atmospheric river