Extreme Weather Events Reflect the Intensifying Impact of Climate Change Across the Continent
The year brought an onslaught of severe climate-related disasters across North America, underscoring the escalating effects of climate change. In January, California endured severe flooding, a grim follow-up to previous months of record-breaking wildfires. These floods led to significant mudslides, particularly in northern San Luis Obispo County, which received a staggering 14 inches of rain over 48 hours.
Evacuations were ordered east of Los Angeles, where approximately 8,000 residents fled from areas below burn scars left by September’s 20,000-acre El Dorado Fire. Meanwhile, California’s iconic Highway 1 was forced to close after heavy rains triggered a cliffside collapse along Big Sur. In the San Francisco Bay area, landslides damaged rural properties, with one resident hospitalized after mud flowed through her home.