Excessive rain may be easing California's years-long drought, but it brings a host of other consequences.
, following a particularly wet season that has flooded the state and eased a years-long drought. San Luis Obispo County's Whale Rock Reservoir, which hasn't been full since 2005, and California's second-largest reservoir, Lake Oroville, were among the bodies of water that were replenished by recent rains.
However, too much rain at once can stress levees along nearby rivers that attach to the reservoirs, a problem that worsens flooding and leads to water loss.Another rain system is expected to hit California next week, and AccuWeather meteorologist Paul Pastelok said the excess rain could ."The reservoirs are getting over their historical averages and starting to fill up too fast," he toldIf the reservoirs overflow, water can spill into nearby rivers and rush down, potentially flooding small towns or campsites. Some of the water will be lost, a situation that isn't ideal in a drought.Another risk is that the levees that prevent overflow can falter under the pressure and break.
An aerial view shows a flooded neighborhood in the unincorporated community of Pajaro in Watsonville, California, on March 11. Residents were forced to evacuate in the middle of the night after an atmospheric river surge broke the Pajaro River levee, sending floodwater into the community.Levees have already experienced stress with the massive amounts of precipitation. Last week, the Pajaro River levee ruptured, causing severe flooding in Watsonville, California.
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