2022–2023 California floods: Difference between revisions

2022–2023 California Floods
	Total precipitation for California from December 26, 2022 to January 11, 2023
Date	December 26, 2022 – ongoing[failed verification]
Location	California; Nevada; Arizona; Utah
Deaths	19

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Revision as of 16:10, 14 January 2023

Floods are affecting parts of Southern California, Central Coast (California), Northern California and Nevada as the result of multiple atmospheric rivers in California, resulting in extended periods of heavy rainfall.^[1]^[3] The flooding began after record levels of rainfall were recorded on December 31, 2022. Floodplains have been inundated and roads have been closed due to flooding. The flooding resulted in property damage^[4]^[5]^[6] and at least 19 fatalities.^[2]

Due to the storms, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on January 4, 2023.^[7] President Joe Biden then declared a state of emergency in 17 California counties on January 9, 2023.^[8] That same day, two lawmakers sent a letter urging President Biden to declare a state of emergency for San Luis Obispo County and Santa Barbara County.^[9] At least 200,000 power outages were attributed to the storm.^[10] The floods were widely reported as an example of how climate change is increasing extreme changes in weather, especially cycles of precipitation and drought.^[11]^[12]^[13]

Preparations

The Sacramento Zoo closed on January 10 due to storm damage.^[14] Over 40 state parks in California were fully closed, and one national park was also closed, Redwood National Park.^[15]^[16]^[17] The Santa Barbara Municipal Airport was closed due to flooding.^[18]

Impacts

Total precipitation of affected areas
from December 26, 2022 to January 10, 2023^[19]
State	Location	Amount
California	San Francisco	13.59 inches (34.5 cm)
California	Oakland	12.90 inches (32.8 cm)
California	Santa Barbara	12.10 inches (30.7 cm)
California	San Francisco International Airport	11.59 inches (29.4 cm)
California	Napa	11.21 inches (28.5 cm)
California	Redding	10.80 inches (27.4 cm)
California	Sacramento	9.58 inches (24.3 cm)
California	Stockton	8.10 inches (20.6 cm)
Nevada	Reno	5.03 inches (12.8 cm)

Total snowfall of affected areas
from December 26, 2022 to January 11, 2023^[20]
State	Town	Amount
California	Mammoth Mountain	190 inches (480 cm)
California	Donner Pass	122.6 inches (311 cm)
California	Mono City	76.7 inches (195 cm)
California	Tahoma	65.6 inches (167 cm)
Nevada	Daggett Pass	48 inches (120 cm)
California	Tahoe City	47 inches (120 cm)
Nevada	Reno	11.6 inches (29 cm)

California

San Francisco Bay Area

Localized flooding and road washouts have been reported.^[1] Oakland set a record for 24 hour rainfall at 4.75 in (12.1 cm) of rain on December 31, while San Francisco recorded its second wettest day with 5.46 in (13.9 cm) of rain.^[21]^[22] This forced the Oakland Zoo to close until at least January 17.^[23] US 101 was flooded in South San Francisco, California, while SR 84 was closed due to landslides and flooding in Fremont.^[24]^[25] A weather station in Nicasio recorded a wind gust of 101 miles per hour (163 km/h) during what forecasts described a "bomb cyclone" on January 4.^[26]^[27]

Sacramento Valley

A levee along the Cosumnes River broke, resulting in SR 99 being flooded. Evacuations were ordered in Wilton.^[28] Several people were trapped in their cars and had to be rescued. Three people were killed from flooding on the roads.^[29] The levee failures were traced to a private property.^[30]

Wind gusts of over 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) knocked down trees and caused widespread power outages that affected over 500,000 SMUD customers.^[31] Two people were killed when trees fell on them due to the high winds.^[32] A total of five people died from the storms in Sacramento County, making it the hardest-hit county in the state.^[29]

Southern California

The SoFi Stadium, which hosted the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship, experienced rain.^[33] Evacuations were issued for Ventura County and Santa Barbara counties, including Montecito.^[34]^[35] Multiple highways, including I-5, SR 126, and US 101, were closed.^[36]^[37]

Central California

Widespread flooding was experienced within the Central Coast. A flash flood outside of Paso Robles swept away a five-year-old boy who was on his way to school that morning while he and his mother were being rescued. After a seven-hour search, only one of his shoes was found.^[38] The Salinas River filled above flood levels, resulting in road closures of bridges in Paso Robles.^[39] In Merced, evacuations were ordered throughout the area because of an overflow at the nearby Bear Creek.^[40] In Bishop, California, the city exceeded their annual precipitation average by January 11 due to the floods.^[41]

Other states

Nevada

Flood watches were issued for Northern Nevada.^[42] In parts of the Sierra Nevada, 7.5 in (19 cm) of snow fell in just one hour.^[43]

Arizona

Flooding from Oak Creek impacted the community of Cornville in Yavapai County, Arizona, on January 1 due to heavy rain hitting the area. Water from the creek rose to more than 8 ft (2.4 m), prompting flood warnings to be issued for the area.^[44]

Utah

The city of Draper, Utah, experienced flooding on the night of January 10 when heavy rains moved through the city. Inches of water would flood over 14 homes and soak belongings inside.^[45]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Heavy rain and snow falls across California in atmospheric river storm". NPR.org. December 31, 2022. Archived from the original on January 3, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
^ ^a ^b Castleman, Terry; Smith, Hayley; Toohey, Grace (January 10, 2023). "Tracking the deaths from California's winter storms". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
^ "A truly 'brutal system': Atmospheric river to slam California". The Washington Post. January 3, 2023. Archived from the original on January 4, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
^ Cappucci, M. (January 6, 2023), "California's not done. Three more atmospheric rivers are on the way.", Washington Post, archived from the original on January 6, 2023, retrieved January 8, 2023
^ Karlamangla, S., Hubler, S. (January 5, 2023), "Another Atmospheric River Arrives in California", New York Times, archived from the original on January 8, 2023, retrieved January 8, 2023
^ "California Flood Threat To Worsen As Major Storm Arrives Early Week", Weather.com, January 7, 2022, archived from the original on January 8, 2023, retrieved January 8, 2023
^ "Governor Newsom Proclaims State of Emergency and Mobilizes State Government Ahead of Winter Storms". Retrieved January 11, 2023.
^ "Biden declares emergency for California due to winter storms". Reuters. January 9, 2023. Archived from the original on January 9, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
^ "Lawmakers urge Biden to include Central Coast counties in disaster declaration". KSBY News. January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
^ Betz, Bradford (January 10, 2023). "California flooding: At least 17 people dead, more than 200,000 homes, businesses without power". Fox News. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
^ Jones, Benji (January 11, 2023). "Welcome to the era of weather whiplash". Vox. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
^ "California's Devastating Storms Are a Glimpse of the Future". The New Yorker. January 12, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
^ Kaplan, Sarah (January 10, 2023). "California's paradox: Confronting too little water, and too much". Washington Post.
^ Sacramento Zoo [@SacramentoZoo] (January 9, 2023). "The zoo will be closed through Tuesday, January 10 as the team continues to clean-up storm damage. All animals and staff are safe, but it will take a couple of days to get through all of the downed limbs and do some necessary tree work. Stay safe out there, Sacramento! 🧡 https://t.co/PWZ2cKpxRm" (Tweet). Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2023 – via Twitter.
^ "Significant Incidents Updates". CA State Parks. Archived from the original on October 23, 2017. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
^ Many California state parks remain closed as more storms hit, SFGate, January 7, 2023
^ Atmospheric Rivers Pound California, Closing Multiple Parks and Recreation Sites, Outsideonline
^ Andrew Gillies (January 9, 2023). "Santa Barbara airport grounds all flights and closes air traffic control tower due to flooding". News Channel 3-12. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
^ "UPDATED total precipitation for the series of atmospheric rivers that have affected California since December 26, a period of 16 days. In this time California averaged 8.61 inches of precipitation and the San Francisco-Oakland metropolitan statistical area averaged 13.34 inches". NWS. January 11, 2022.
^ "Extremely heavy snow fell in the Sierra Nevada during the sequence of atmospheric rivers dating back to December 26, 2022. Over 10 feet of snow was observed at the highest elevations. Lower, but still significant, snow totals were observed in the mountains of northern California". NWS. January 11, 2022.
^ Historic storm hits San Francisco, more rain on the way Archived January 4, 2023, at the Wayback Machine, Axios, January 3, 2023
^ Epic flooding leads to water rescues and highway closures in California as the storm system threatens more states Archived January 4, 2023, at the Wayback Machine, CNN, January 1, 2023
^ Oakland Zoo Announces Extended Closure Due to Major Sinkhole Damage Caused by Rain, Oakland Zoo, January 1, 2023
^ "Level 2 storm causing flooding on Bay Area roads, highways". ABC7 San Francisco. December 31, 2022. Archived from the original on January 5, 2023. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
^ "CA-84 closed in both directions due to a landslide and flooding". KRON4. January 8, 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
^ "Time Series Viewer for Nicasio Hills". National Weather Service. Archived from the original on January 5, 2023. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
^ California gets brief lull after damaging 'bomb cyclone' Archived January 7, 2023, at the Wayback Machine Associated Press, January 6, 2023
^ "1 person found dead in flooded car as California county faces major flooding". ABC News. January 2, 2023. Archived from the original on January 3, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
^ ^a ^b Anguiano, Dani (January 10, 2023). "'It's horrifying': storm deaths of unhoused people highlight California crises". Retrieved January 11, 2023.
^ Sharp, Ashley; Ming, Kurtis (January 3, 2023). "Two breaks along Cosumnes River that flooded Highway 99 traced to private land owner, county has no jurisdiction to repair". Two breaks along Cosumnes River that flooded Highway 99 traced to private land owner, county has no jurisdiction to repair. Archived from the original on January 3, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
^ De La Cruz, Maricela (January 8, 2023). "Damaging winds knock down trees, power lines across Northern California". Retrieved January 11, 2023.
^ Clift, Theresa (January 9, 2023). "What we know about homeless people killed in Sacramento storms; one had five kids". Retrieved January 11, 2023.
^ Schultz, Nick (January 10, 2023). "WATCH: SoFi Stadium experiencing rain during national title game despite being indoor stadium". On3. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
^ "Mass evacuations in Montecito as storm pounds L.A. with intense rain, flooding". Los Angeles Times. January 9, 2023. Archived from the original on January 9, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
^ Freedman, Andrew (January 10, 2023). "Major atmospheric river with "relentless" rains leaves 90% of California under flood watch". Axios. Archived from the original on January 9, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
^ "Drivers rescued after mud, debris bury Highway 126". KTLA. January 10, 2023. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
^ "Winter storm brings evacuations, mudslides, flood warnings in parts of Los Angeles, Ventura counties". FOX 11. January 8, 2023. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
^ "California storm: Five-year-old boy swept away as residents told to flee". BBC News. January 9, 2023. Archived from the original on January 9, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
^ "13th Street Bridge is closed as storm fills Salinas River". Paso Robles Daily News. January 10, 2023. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
^ "Central Valley sees significant rain, snowfall and flooding". ABC30 Fresno. January 10, 2023. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
^ Brettschneider, Brian [@Climatologist49] (January 12, 2023). "Bishop, CA, is the fist station in the U.S. to reach the 2023 normal full year precipitation. Their normal annual precipitation is 4.84". They already have 5.00" for 2023. #cawx https://t.co/iWMrvQuFyv" (Tweet). Retrieved January 14, 2023 – via Twitter.
^ "Region braces for storms, possible flooding". This Is Reno. December 30, 2022. Archived from the original on January 3, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
^ Forecasters predict more rain this week Archived January 4, 2023, at the Wayback Machine, KPBS, January 2, 2023
^ "Winter storm brings flooding to Arizona's high country". ABC 15 Arizona. Jorge Torres. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
^ "Draper neighborhood flooded after heavy rains". KSL-TV. Shelby Lofton. Retrieved January 12, 2023.

[NPR.org_2022-1] "Heavy rain and snow falls across California in atmospheric river storm". NPR.org. December 31, 2022. Archived from the original on January 3, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2023.

[19_deaths-2] Castleman, Terry; Smith, Hayley; Toohey, Grace (January 10, 2023). "Tracking the deaths from California's winter storms". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 10, 2023.

[WashPost03-01-3] "A truly 'brutal system': Atmospheric river to slam California". The Washington Post. January 3, 2023. Archived from the original on January 4, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2023.

[4] Cappucci, M. (January 6, 2023), "California's not done. Three more atmospheric rivers are on the way.", Washington Post, archived from the original on January 6, 2023, retrieved January 8, 2023

[5] Karlamangla, S., Hubler, S. (January 5, 2023), "Another Atmospheric River Arrives in California", New York Times, archived from the original on January 8, 2023, retrieved January 8, 2023

[6] "California Flood Threat To Worsen As Major Storm Arrives Early Week", Weather.com, January 7, 2022, archived from the original on January 8, 2023, retrieved January 8, 2023

[7] "Governor Newsom Proclaims State of Emergency and Mobilizes State Government Ahead of Winter Storms". Retrieved January 11, 2023.

[12_deaths-8] "Biden declares emergency for California due to winter storms". Reuters. January 9, 2023. Archived from the original on January 9, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2023.

[9] "Lawmakers urge Biden to include Central Coast counties in disaster declaration". KSBY News. January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.

[10] Betz, Bradford (January 10, 2023). "California flooding: At least 17 people dead, more than 200,000 homes, businesses without power". Fox News. Retrieved January 11, 2023.

[11] Jones, Benji (January 11, 2023). "Welcome to the era of weather whiplash". Vox. Retrieved January 13, 2023.

[12] "California's Devastating Storms Are a Glimpse of the Future". The New Yorker. January 12, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2023.

[13] Kaplan, Sarah (January 10, 2023). "California's paradox: Confronting too little water, and too much". Washington Post.

[14] Sacramento Zoo [@SacramentoZoo] (January 9, 2023). "The zoo will be closed through Tuesday, January 10 as the team continues to clean-up storm damage. All animals and staff are safe, but it will take a couple of days to get through all of the downed limbs and do some necessary tree work. Stay safe out there, Sacramento! 🧡 https://t.co/PWZ2cKpxRm" (Tweet). Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2023 – via Twitter.

[15] "Significant Incidents Updates". CA State Parks. Archived from the original on October 23, 2017. Retrieved January 10, 2023.

[16] Many California state parks remain closed as more storms hit, SFGate, January 7, 2023

[17] Atmospheric Rivers Pound California, Closing Multiple Parks and Recreation Sites, Outsideonline

[18] Andrew Gillies (January 9, 2023). "Santa Barbara airport grounds all flights and closes air traffic control tower due to flooding". News Channel 3-12. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.

[19] "UPDATED total precipitation for the series of atmospheric rivers that have affected California since December 26, a period of 16 days. In this time California averaged 8.61 inches of precipitation and the San Francisco-Oakland metropolitan statistical area averaged 13.34 inches". NWS. January 11, 2022.

[20] "Extremely heavy snow fell in the Sierra Nevada during the sequence of atmospheric rivers dating back to December 26, 2022. Over 10 feet of snow was observed at the highest elevations. Lower, but still significant, snow totals were observed in the mountains of northern California". NWS. January 11, 2022.

[21] Historic storm hits San Francisco, more rain on the way Archived January 4, 2023, at the Wayback Machine, Axios, January 3, 2023

[22] Epic flooding leads to water rescues and highway closures in California as the storm system threatens more states Archived January 4, 2023, at the Wayback Machine, CNN, January 1, 2023

[23] Oakland Zoo Announces Extended Closure Due to Major Sinkhole Damage Caused by Rain, Oakland Zoo, January 1, 2023

[24] "Level 2 storm causing flooding on Bay Area roads, highways". ABC7 San Francisco. December 31, 2022. Archived from the original on January 5, 2023. Retrieved January 5, 2023.

[25] "CA-84 closed in both directions due to a landslide and flooding". KRON4. January 8, 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2023.

[26] "Time Series Viewer for Nicasio Hills". National Weather Service. Archived from the original on January 5, 2023. Retrieved January 5, 2023.

[27] California gets brief lull after damaging 'bomb cyclone' Archived January 7, 2023, at the Wayback Machine Associated Press, January 6, 2023

[ABC_News_2023-28] "1 person found dead in flooded car as California county faces major flooding". ABC News. January 2, 2023. Archived from the original on January 3, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2023.

[Guardian-29] Anguiano, Dani (January 10, 2023). "'It's horrifying': storm deaths of unhoused people highlight California crises". Retrieved January 11, 2023.

[Sharp_Ming_2023-30] Sharp, Ashley; Ming, Kurtis (January 3, 2023). "Two breaks along Cosumnes River that flooded Highway 99 traced to private land owner, county has no jurisdiction to repair". Two breaks along Cosumnes River that flooded Highway 99 traced to private land owner, county has no jurisdiction to repair. Archived from the original on January 3, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2023.

[31] De La Cruz, Maricela (January 8, 2023). "Damaging winds knock down trees, power lines across Northern California". Retrieved January 11, 2023.

[32] Clift, Theresa (January 9, 2023). "What we know about homeless people killed in Sacramento storms; one had five kids". Retrieved January 11, 2023.

[33] Schultz, Nick (January 10, 2023). "WATCH: SoFi Stadium experiencing rain during national title game despite being indoor stadium". On3. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.

[34] "Mass evacuations in Montecito as storm pounds L.A. with intense rain, flooding". Los Angeles Times. January 9, 2023. Archived from the original on January 9, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.

[35] Freedman, Andrew (January 10, 2023). "Major atmospheric river with "relentless" rains leaves 90% of California under flood watch". Axios. Archived from the original on January 9, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.

[36] "Drivers rescued after mud, debris bury Highway 126". KTLA. January 10, 2023. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.

[37] "Winter storm brings evacuations, mudslides, flood warnings in parts of Los Angeles, Ventura counties". FOX 11. January 8, 2023. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.

[38] "California storm: Five-year-old boy swept away as residents told to flee". BBC News. January 9, 2023. Archived from the original on January 9, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.

[39] "13th Street Bridge is closed as storm fills Salinas River". Paso Robles Daily News. January 10, 2023. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.

[40] "Central Valley sees significant rain, snowfall and flooding". ABC30 Fresno. January 10, 2023. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.

[41] Brettschneider, Brian [@Climatologist49] (January 12, 2023). "Bishop, CA, is the fist station in the U.S. to reach the 2023 normal full year precipitation. Their normal annual precipitation is 4.84". They already have 5.00" for 2023. #cawx https://t.co/iWMrvQuFyv" (Tweet). Retrieved January 14, 2023 – via Twitter.

[This_Is_Reno_2022-42] "Region braces for storms, possible flooding". This Is Reno. December 30, 2022. Archived from the original on January 3, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2023.

[43] Forecasters predict more rain this week Archived January 4, 2023, at the Wayback Machine, KPBS, January 2, 2023

[44] "Winter storm brings flooding to Arizona's high country". ABC 15 Arizona. Jorge Torres. Retrieved January 11, 2023.

[45] "Draper neighborhood flooded after heavy rains". KSL-TV. Shelby Lofton. Retrieved January 12, 2023.

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-[[Flood]]s are affecting parts of [[Southern California]], [[Central Coast (California)]], [[Northern California]] and [[Nevada]] as the result of multiple [[atmospheric river]]s in California, resulting in extended periods of heavy [[rainfall]].<ref name="NPR.org 2022"/><ref name="WashPost03-01">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2023/01/03/california-west-coast-atmospheric-river/ |title=A truly 'brutal system': Atmospheric river to slam California |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=2023-01-03 |accessdate=2023-01-03 |archive-date=January 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230104100206/https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2023/01/03/california-west-coast-atmospheric-river/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The flooding began after record levels of rainfall were recorded on December 31, 2022. [[Floodplain]]s have been inundated and roads have been closed due to flooding. The flooding resulted in property damage<ref>{{Citation | vauthors=((Cappucci, M.)) | date=January 6, 2023 | website=Washington Post | title=California's not done. Three more atmospheric rivers are on the way. | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2023/01/06/california-atmospheric-river-forecast-flooding/ | access-date=8 January 2023 | archive-date=January 6, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230106200438/https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2023/01/06/california-atmospheric-river-forecast-flooding/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Citation | vauthors=((Karlamangla, S.)), ((Hubler, S.)) | date=January 5, 2023 | website=New York Times | title=Another Atmospheric River Arrives in California | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/05/us/california-storm-weather.html | access-date=8 January 2023 | archive-date=January 8, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230108090756/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/05/us/california-storm-weather.html | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Citation | title=California Flood Threat To Worsen As Major Storm Arrives Early Week | website=Weather.com | date=January 7, 2022 | url=https://weather.com/forecast/regional/news/2023-01-05-california-forecast-flooding-atmospheric-river | access-date=8 January 2023 | archive-date=January 8, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230108090755/https://weather.com/forecast/regional/news/2023-01-05-california-forecast-flooding-atmospheric-river | url-status=live }}</ref> and at least 19 fatalities, making it the [[Deadliest weather events of 2023|deadliest meteorological event of 2023]] to date.<ref name="19 deaths" />
+[[Flood]]s are affecting parts of [[Southern California]], [[Central Coast (California)]], [[Northern California]] and [[Nevada]] as the result of multiple [[atmospheric river]]s in California, resulting in extended periods of heavy [[rainfall]].<ref name="NPR.org 2022"/><ref name="WashPost03-01">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2023/01/03/california-west-coast-atmospheric-river/ |title=A truly 'brutal system': Atmospheric river to slam California |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=2023-01-03 |accessdate=2023-01-03 |archive-date=January 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230104100206/https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2023/01/03/california-west-coast-atmospheric-river/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The flooding began after record levels of rainfall were recorded on December 31, 2022. [[Floodplain]]s have been inundated and roads have been closed due to flooding. The flooding resulted in property damage<ref>{{Citation | vauthors=((Cappucci, M.)) | date=January 6, 2023 | website=Washington Post | title=California's not done. Three more atmospheric rivers are on the way. | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2023/01/06/california-atmospheric-river-forecast-flooding/ | access-date=8 January 2023 | archive-date=January 6, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230106200438/https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2023/01/06/california-atmospheric-river-forecast-flooding/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Citation | vauthors=((Karlamangla, S.)), ((Hubler, S.)) | date=January 5, 2023 | website=New York Times | title=Another Atmospheric River Arrives in California | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/05/us/california-storm-weather.html | access-date=8 January 2023 | archive-date=January 8, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230108090756/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/05/us/california-storm-weather.html | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Citation | title=California Flood Threat To Worsen As Major Storm Arrives Early Week | website=Weather.com | date=January 7, 2022 | url=https://weather.com/forecast/regional/news/2023-01-05-california-forecast-flooding-atmospheric-river | access-date=8 January 2023 | archive-date=January 8, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230108090755/https://weather.com/forecast/regional/news/2023-01-05-california-forecast-flooding-atmospheric-river | url-status=live }}</ref> and at least 19 fatalities.<ref name="19 deaths" />
 Due to the storms, Governor [[Gavin Newsom]] declared a [[state of emergency]] on January 4, 2023.<ref>{{cite web |title=Governor Newsom Proclaims State of Emergency and Mobilizes State Government Ahead of Winter Storms |url=https://www.gov.ca.gov/2023/01/04/governor-newsom-proclaims-state-of-emergency-and-mobilizes-state-government-ahead-of-winter-storms/ |access-date=11 January 2023}}</ref> President [[Joe Biden]] then declared a state of emergency in 17 California counties on January 9, 2023.<ref name="12 deaths">{{Cite news |date=January 9, 2023 |title=Biden declares emergency for California due to winter storms |language=en |work=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-declares-emergency-california-due-winter-storms-2023-01-09/ |access-date=January 9, 2023 |archive-date=January 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230109122054/https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-declares-emergency-california-due-winter-storms-2023-01-09/ |url-status=live }}</ref> That same day, two lawmakers sent a letter urging President Biden to declare a state of emergency for [[San Luis Obispo County, California|San Luis Obispo County]] and [[Santa Barbara County, California|Santa Barbara County]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-01-10 |title=Lawmakers urge Biden to include Central Coast counties in disaster declaration |url=https://www.ksby.com/homepage-showcase/central-coast-representatives-urge-pres-biden-to-include-slo-sb-counties-in-federal-disaster-declaration |access-date=2023-01-10 |website=KSBY News |language=en}}</ref> At least 200,000 power outages were attributed to the storm.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Betz |first=Bradford |date=2023-01-10 |title=California flooding: At least 17 people dead, more than 200,000 homes, businesses without power |url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/california-flooding-people-dead-more-than-200000-homes-businesses-without-power |access-date=2023-01-11 |website=Fox News |language=en-US}}</ref> The floods were widely reported as an example of how climate change is increasing [[Extreme weather|extreme changes in weather]], especially [[Effects of climate change on the water cycle|cycles of precipitation and drought]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Benji |date=2023-01-11 |title=Welcome to the era of weather whiplash |url=https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/23550073/california-floods-rainfall-weather-climate-change-whiplash |access-date=2023-01-13 |website=Vox |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-01-12 |title=California's Devastating Storms Are a Glimpse of the Future |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-a-warming-planet/californias-devastating-storms-are-a-glimpse-of-the-future |access-date=2023-01-13 |website=The New Yorker |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Kaplan |first=Sarah |date=January 10, 2023 |title=California's paradox: Confronting too little water, and too much |work=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/01/10/california-climate-atmospheric-rivers-drought/}}</ref>

v t e Floods in 2022
Africa	Chad Democratic Republic of Congo Bukavu Kinshasa Ghana Accra Madagascar Antananarivo Nigeria Rwanda Sudan South Africa Eastern Cape KwaZulu-Natal Uganda Kasese District
Asia	South Asia Afghanistan China Qinghai India–Bangladesh Amarnath Silchar Iran Jordan Laos Malaysia East Coast Pakistan Philippines Saudi Arabia South Korea Sumatra United Arab Emirates
Europe	Greece Italy Marche United Kingdom
North America	Haiti United States Montana July–August nationwide floods Puerto Rico
South America	Brazil Northeastern Brazil Petrópolis Suriname Uruguay Montevideo
Oceania	Australia Eastern Australia New South Wales South Eastern Australia New Zealand
← 2021 floods · 2023 floods →

v t e Floods in 2023
Africa	Africa Great Lakes South Africa Western Cape
Asia	South Asia Afghanistan China Fujian, Beijing, Jilin and Hebei India North India Sikkim Pakistan Philippines Saudi Arabia South Korea Turkey
Europe	Italy Emilia-Romagna Slovenia United Kingdom Ukraine Southeast Europe Turkey
North America	Haiti United States Fort Lauderdale, Florida Western Northeast (July) Western Kentucky Mid-South Southwest Northeast (September) New York Canada Nova Scotia
South America	Brazil Rio Grande do Sul São Paulo
Oceania	Australia Western Australia Queensland New Zealand North Island South Island Samoa
← 2022 floods· 2024 floods →