Climate Chaos is Real

  By Cal Orey

Climate Chaos in California is the New Normal

Is it too dangerous to live in the Golden State in the 21^st century? California was once advertised as the “land of milk and honey” during the 1930s Dust Bowl era when migrants fled west to escape the severe dust storms and drought. But nowadays, the word is natural disasters from earthquakes to wildfires and dangerous air quality in northern, central, and southern California are more frequent and intense than ever before. And California dreaming has turned into a real-life nightmare. 

Is climate change (shifts in temperatures and weather patterns) to blame for an end of days scenario throughout California? Scientists will tell you there is climate chaos connection to climate change.  It’s a trigger effect and causing the perfect storm wreaking havoc throughout the West Coast states and north to Alaska “The Last Frontier.” Here are seven disasters that are causing commotion and confusion in California. Welcome to the new normal...     

So, as the Earth heats us we're experiencing droughts to heat waves. In the summer of 2022, California has been hit with high temperatures in Death Valley, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Central California—an agricultural hub. The extreme heat has affected grapes for wine to tomatoes and much more. The end result: Prices for our favorite foods are soaring, and farmers will suffer because the damage to their crops…Worse, California has been rationing water for outdoor gardens and limiting usage of energy at prime hours to lower the risk of power outages. (Refer the film “The Trigger Effect”.) And so much more is happening!

·       Algae Bloom: Due to the September heat, lakes and waterways were affected more than normal. At Lake Tahoe, the Tahoe Keys neighborhood and other regions around the lake were found to be toxic. Pets and people were recommended not to go into the water. Worse, the odor was strong like horse manure. The San Francisco Bay Area was also dealing with the unsightly algae challenges, too. The water turned green and red with massive fish die-offs, and a foul smell affected Lake Merritt in the East Bay. And scientists claim there isn’t a solution to get rid of it as they try to find answers.

·       Wildfires: Meanwhile, wildfires in California ignited in the summer (affecting the great sequoias in Yosemite). A new blaze called the Mosquito Fire (which began on September 6, north of Sacramento, and west of Lake from Tahoe), spread out of control, creating unhealthy air.

·       Air Quality: On September 11 I left South Lake Tahoe to escape the very unhealthy air and escape the potential threat of road closures and worse. The destination was Clearlake—with promise of clear air. I took the sibling, fur kids, bare essentials, and traveled west on back mountain roads ending up surrounded in hazardous smoke. On a long winding road, we were amid towering trees blanketed by a thick fog-like smoke filling the inside of the vehicle. There was no place to stop and turning back wasn’t an option. We followed the cars on the dark road. Once at Clearlake we were greeted by 107 degrees. But the rest of the state was coping with a heat wave, too. Thoughts of Yosemite (my first choice to flee still wasn't safe nor the great sequoias thanks to nature's wrath.

Nearly a week later, still hunkering down in Clearlake, Truckee in north Tahoe was dealing with hazardous air, and it moved to South Lake Tahoe. On the air quality ranking websites, it the “Dangerous” and purple color showed up on September 15. The following day Reno was ranked as the city with the unhealthiest air in the United States. The schools were shut down and people were advised to stay indoors due to a stage 3 health alert.

Two days prior, while safe in clear air and checking the air at Lake Tahoe, on September 13, my cell phone alerted me to a Shake Alert: Earthquake – “Drop, Cover, and Hold On.” Santa Rosa rocked. A 4.4, followed by a 3.9. More than 6000 people reported feeling it to the USGS website. And the shaker made national news at once. The twin quakes were on the Rodgers Fault (linked to the San Andreas). 

·       Flash Floods/Mudslides: Meanwhile, in the desert of Southern California flooding, flash floods and mudslides were threatening people and structures as well as destroying roads. And there’s more…

·       Rare Storms:  During the weekend of September 17-18, Northern California got word a welcomed storm was heading our way thanks to Alaska. The state got slammed with a rare storm and hurricane-force winds. One news headline reads “Alaska governor declares disaster after ‘historic-level storm’ floods coastal town”. On the upside, the storm headed south to Northern California to supply much-need rain, and maybe even snow in the Sierra.

But concern of gusty winds could ignite new wildfires and hinder containment of the out-of-control Mosquito Fire—the largest wildfire this year in California. On September 18 the Mosquito Fire was 34 percent contained and still growing: 75,000 acres. The cause is being investigated.

            Meanwhile, a threat of flash floods and mudslides in the Northern California mountains. So, heading back to the Sierra is on hold as I stay in Clearlake waiting for a sign it’s safe to go back home.

 As climate change continues to fuel Mother Nature’s wrath our environment and well-being continues to be challenged. Extreme Earth changes in California during the summer of 2022 are likely to be only the beginning of what’s coming in the future to the Golden State. Tourists are rethinking about visiting, and locals ponder migrating (much like the characters in John Steinbeck’s masterpiece Grapes of Wrath) for both survival and sanity’s sake in search of a better life.

 

Will Global Warming Grow Natural Disasters Around the World?

Yes, as the planet warms, say science experts. there may be more flooding and cyclones, thanks to the melting of glaciers, and sea levels rising. Climate change plays a role in the atmosphere and lakes and oceans, and it affects the Earth’s crust as well. There may not be a direct link between climate change and fire, according to scientists, but researchers have found strong correlations between warm summer temperatures and large fire years. This, in result, shows there is a consensus that fire happenings will increase with climate change.

Also, science gurus agree, an increase in seismic activity can happen due to the loss of groundwater during a drought. Plus, heavy rain, flooding, and snow affect the Earth’s crust and can trigger earthquakes, too.  Keep in mind, climate change isn’t just a California thing—life-threatening natural disasters are happening in the South, Northeast, Midwest, all around the nation and world.