2022–2023 California floods facts for kids
California faced major Floods starting on December 31, 2022. These floods were caused by several "atmospheric rivers," which are like rivers of water high in the sky. They brought very heavy rainfall to many parts of California, including the south, central coast, and north, and even reached into Nevada.
These powerful storms damaged many homes and properties. Sadly, at least 22 people lost their lives, making it the deadliest weather event in the U.S. for 2023 at that time. About 200,000 homes and businesses lost electricity, and 6,000 people had to leave their homes for safety.
Many news reports connected these floods to climate change. They suggested that climate change is making extreme weather events, like heavy rain and long droughts, happen more often. Scientists are still studying the exact link. Some scientists believe that warmer oceans, due to climate change, are making these huge rainfalls more likely. Before these heavy rains, California had been in a very serious drought.
Government Response to California Floods
After the storms began, California's Governor, Gavin Newsom, declared a state of emergency on January 4, 2023. This means the state could get extra help and resources to deal with the disaster.
President Joe Biden then declared a state of emergency for 17 counties in California on January 9, 2023. This allowed federal help to come in. Later, on January 14, President Biden approved a major disaster declaration for Santa Cruz, Sacramento, and Merced counties. A few days later, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara counties were also added. President Biden visited California on January 19 to see the damage with Governor Newsom.
Cost of the Floods
The floods caused a lot of damage, and fixing everything will be very expensive. One early estimate on January 10 suggested the costs could be between $31 billion and $34 billion. This estimate was made by Accuweather, a weather forecasting company. The final cost will be officially calculated later in 2023 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a U.S. government agency that studies oceans and the atmosphere.
