Sunday brought record summer rainfall to much of Southern California, as Tropical Storm Hilary left a trail of flash floods, debris flows, school cancellations, and power outages across the region. Hilary’s approach triggered the first-ever tropical storm watch issued for the state, and was the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years. Though severe in some areas, Hilary was not as destructive as some experts had feared, with no reports of U.S. fatalities or significant injuries as of Monday. We’ll look at the science behind the storm, the role of climate change, and what it reveals about the future of extreme weather in California.
What Can We Learn From California’s First Tropical Storm in Decades?
Workers set up a sign near a flooded intersection as tropical storm Hilary moves through the area in San Bernardino, CA on August 20, 2023. (Justin Sullivan via Getty Images)
Guests:
Diana Crofts-Pelayo, assistant director of crisis communications, California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services [Cal OES]
Daniel Swain, climate scientist, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at UCLA; author, "Extreme Weather Page-A-Day Calendar 2024: A Year of Fire Tornadoes, Atmospheric Rivers, and Other Wild Weather Events"
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