California Faces 'Thousand-Year' Storms and State of Emergency

Climate Change, El Niño, and Seasonal Patterns Contribute to Severe Flooding in Southern California

• Fast-moving storms have caused severe flooding in parts of Ventura, Los Angeles, and San Diego counties, prompting Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare states of emergency.
• The storms have been described as 'thousand-year events', with one storm drenching San Diego with more rain in a few hours than the area typically sees in all of January.
• Experts warn that El Niño, climate change, and seasonal patterns have made such storms more likely to occur.
• The storms have caused significant damage, with hundreds of people displaced in San Diego and potentially up to 100 homes uninhabitable due to flood damage.
• Despite the recent storms, this winter's rainfall has been less than last year's, with the South Coast region receiving 74% of average precipitation for the period.

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