"Over 150 years ago, a strong series of atmospheric rivers drenched California, causing one of the most exceptional floods in history. The catastrophe, which began in December 1861, occurred when nearly 15 feet of snow fell in the Sierra Nevada. The repetitive atmospheric rivers dropped warm rain for 43 days, dumping water down the slopes and into the valleys.
These events happened after a dry spell that left the state in a drought for decades. This demolished communities and transformed San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys into a “temporary but vast inland sea,” with some areas buried under 30 feet of water for weeks, obliterating infrastructure, farmlands and towns.
Sacramento, which was the new state capital at the time, was left under 10 feet of debris-filled water for months. Four thousand people lost their lives, a third of the state’s property was destroyed, a quarter of California’s cattle population drowned or starved and one in eight homes were completely lost to floodwaters.
Finally, one-fourth of California’s economy was obliterated, leading the state to declare bankruptcy. Swain believes that the next megaflood will bring even more risks, with more people expected to be in harm’s way."
California and most of the western part of the United States are currently experiencing an unprecedented megadrought, but this may
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