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In 2004, voters approved legislation that imposed a tax on millionaires to finance mental health services, generating $2 billion to $3 billion in revenue each year that has mostly gone to counties to fund mental health programs as they see fit under broad guidelines. San Francisco Mayor London Breed said she supports the measure. The 14-year-old center with a mission of breaking the cycle of trauma in the Black community relies heavily on mental health funding from the county. The state needs some 8,000 more beds to treat mental health and addiction issues, according to researchers who testified before state lawmakers last year. “From a humanitarian and civil rights perspective, we vehemently oppose Proposition 1,” said Mark Salazar, executive director of Mental Health Association of San Francisco, which serves more than 15,000 people monthly.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, Newsom, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Tiffany McCarter, —, McCarter, “, ” McCarter, haven't, ”, Mark Salazar, ” Mark Cloutier, Joe Wilson, Anthony Hardnett, “ You’ve, ” Hardnett, ” Kalkowski, “ I’ve Organizations: — Democratic, — Democratic California Gov, San Francisco Mayor London, Cultural Center, Democratic, University of San, Housing Initiative, Mental Health Association of San, House, Sixth, 6th Street Center, Youth Locations: OROVILLE, Calif, — Democratic California, Butte, San Francisco, Butte County, Oroville, California, United States, Mental Health Association of San Francisco, Tenderloin, Chico

☆ Libya Showed What Happens If We Ignore Aging Dams - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Josh Klemm | Isabella Winkler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The risks from aging dams are of particular concern in the face of climate change. Before the disaster in Libya, extreme weather worsened by climate change was already taking its toll on these structures. The default approach has been to repair aging dams where needed, monitor reservoir levels and try to anticipate rainfall and increased flows from upstream. While some aging dams still supply drinking water and help farmers irrigate their fields, many that were built for hydropower only generate a fraction of the electricity they once did as sediment accumulates behind their walls. Deepening drought linked to climate change has also crippled hydropower generation all over the world, leading to energy rationing and blackouts in the United States, China and Brazil.

Locations: United States, China, Libya, Oroville, India, Africa, Brazil

☆ York Fire in Nevada and California spawns 'fire whirls'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Nouran Salahieh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —A massive, out-of-control fire burning across both California and Nevada is generating extreme fire behavior, spawning “fire whirls” and creating dangerous conditions for firefighters, authorities said. Firefighters battling the blaze have seen fire whirls – “a vortex of flames and smoke that forms when intense heat and turbulent winds combine, creating a spinning column of fire,” the Mojave National Preserve said Sunday. Crews battlling the York Fire faced "fire whirls" Sunday in the Mojave National Preserve, California. Ty O'Neil/AP“These fire whirls are similar to dust devils but are specifically associated with the heat and energy released by a wildfire,” the Mojave National Preserve said. The struggle to control the York Fire has allowed smoke to reach into Nevada and southern Utah, the fire incident overview noted.

Persons: Crews, Ty O'Neil, “, Carr, Jesse Winter, Jeffrey Todd, Erick Thompson, SpokanSector, Hayden Organizations: CNN, York, US, California -, Firefighters, Preserve, National Interagency Fire Center, National Interagency, Center, Reuters, British Columbia Wildfire Service, Regional, of, US Border Patrol Spokane Sector, Facebook, Forest, US Forest Service Locations: California, Nevada, New, Canadian, California - Nevada, , California, Redding , California, Utah, East Las Vegas , Boulder City, Henderson, Clark County , Nevada, Canada, Washington, Washington’s Okanogan County, Bluff, British, Osoyoos, of Okanagan, Oroville, ”, Challis, Leadore , Idaho

☆ Stunning before-and-after photos show how heavy rain and snow replenished California's dried up reservoirs, even bringing a zombie lake back to life
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Photos showed the dramatic transformation at Lake Oroville, the second-largest reservoir. Some lakes, like Tulare Lake in the Central Valley, have also re-emerged after being drained years ago. Photos of Lake Oroville taken in September of 2021 and April of 2023 showed the stark transformation. The Enterprise Bridge at Lake Oroville in Oroville, California on September 05, 2021 (top), and on April 16, 2023 (below). Houseboats parked at a marina at Lake Oroville in Oroville, California, on September 05, 2021 (top) and on April 16, 2023 (below).

Persons: Josh Edelson, It's, David, Jae C Organizations: Service, Los Angeles Times, Getty, Washington Post, Post Locations: Oroville, Tulare, Central, California, Shasta, Lake Oroville, Oroville , California, AFP, Fresno County, Mississippi, Corcoran, Calif

☆ These are the states in America that are the least prepared for extreme weather
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Scott Cohn | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Some states are in good shape to handle whatever the climate throws at them, but these are the states most at risk. 2023 Infrastructure score: 228 out of 390 points (Top States grade: B) Climate Extremes Index: 21.16% Properties at risk: 45.2% Renewable energy: 10.6%9. 2023 Infrastructure score: 165 out of 390 points (Top States grade: D) Climate Extremes Index: 8.7% Properties at risk: 2.8% Renewable energy: 12%8. Connecticut is home to the nation's first "green bank," which uses public dollars to leverage private investment in renewable energy. 2023 Infrastructure score: 227 out of 390 points (Top States grade: B) Climate Extremes Index: 21.16% Properties at risk: 61% Renewable energy: 12.5%1.

Persons: Jeremy Porter, York Snow, Joed Viera, Kelly Giddens, Daniel Hinton, Jessica Mcgowan, wades, Tim Boyle, Tony Evers, Scott Olson, Josh Edelson, Gavin Newsom, —, Marcellus, Tom Wolf, Josh Shapiro, Ida, Brendan McDermid, Hurricane Ida, Richard Bunting, Alex Hamilton, Hurricane Irene, Mark Wilson, Joe Biden's, Ted Shaffrey, Hurricane Nicole, Paul Hennessy, Marco Bello Organizations: Street Foundation, CNBC, Business, First, Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, U.S, Department of Energy, Afp, Getty, National Weather Service, Micron Technology, Alabama, University of Alabama, Illinois —, Badger State, Gov, Carolina, Carolinas, AFP, EQT Corp, Bloomberg, Reuters, Garden, State, Anadolu Agency, Sunshine State, Farmers Insurance, AAA Locations: States, York, Buffalo , New York, Empire, New York, Syracuse, Alabama TUSCALOOSA, AL, Cedar, Tuscaloosa , Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Gulf, Wisconsin, Prairie du Chien , WI, Hurricane, Charleston , South Carolina, Florida, Georgetown , South Carolina, South Carolina, California, Oroville, Oroville , California, , California, Pennsylvania, Washington Township , Pennsylvania, U.S, Jersey, Oakwood, Elizabeth , New Jersey, Garden State , New Jersey, New Jersey, Delaware, Lewes , Delaware, Rhode, Connecticut, New Haven , Connecticut, Wilbur, , Florida, Louisiana, Kenner , Louisiana

Listen and follow The DailyApple Podcasts | Spotify | StitcherOn the morning of Feb. 7, 2017, two electricians were working on a warning siren near the spillway of Oroville Dam, 60 miles north of Sacramento, when they heard an explosion. As they watched, a giant plume of water rose over their heads, and chunks of concrete began flying down the hillside toward the Feather River. The dam’s spillway, a concrete channel capable of moving millions of gallons of water out of the reservoir in seconds, was disintegrating in front of them. If it had to be taken out of service, a serious rainstorm, like the one that had been falling on Northern California for days, could cause the dam — the tallest in the United States — to fail. The rain, however, didn’t.

Persons: Kory Honea, Dino Corbin Organizations: Spotify, California’s Department of Water Resources Locations: Oroville, Sacramento, Northern California, United States, Butte County

The Army Corps studied what would happen to six dams in California, and the results suggested that two of them would probably be overtopped. It seemed unlikely that a third of all the dams in the state would fail, but would none of them? Cox described the “weird ‘Chinatown’ vibe” he encountered whenever the conversation turned to dams. In the course of my reporting this article, sources would stutter and shut down whenever dams came up. “My boss approved, but it was nixed by higher-ups,” the public information officer at the dam wrote.

Persons: Cox, ”, “, they’re, Dale Cox, ruefully Organizations: Army Corps, Reclamation, California Governor’s, Emergency Services Locations: California, Northern California, Oroville, Swain, Sacramento

☆ Without climate change, these extreme weather events would not have happened
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

People often want to know if an extreme weather event happened because of climate change, said Friederike Otto, climate scientist and co-lead of the World Weather Attribution initiative. And, more often than not, they are finding the clear fingerprints of climate change on extreme weather events. “We’re always going to have extreme weather, but if we keep driving in this direction, we’re gonna have a lot of extreme weather,” said Ted Scambos, a glaciologist at the University of Colorado-Boulder. Alexander Nemenov/AFP/Getty ImagesSiberian heat wave, 2020In 2020, a prolonged, unprecedented heat wave seared one of the coldest places on Earth, triggering widespread wildfires. A study from the journal Nature Climate Change found the period from 2000 to 2021 was the driest the West has ever been in 1,200 years, noting human-caused climate change made the megadrought 72% worse.

Persons: Friederike Otto, Otto, We’re, we’re, ”, Ted Scambos, Alexander Nemenov, Andrew Ciavarella, Kathryn Elsesser, San Salvador de la, Aitor De Iturria, ” Otto, Mamunur Rahman Malik, “, Fadel Senna, Debarchan Chatterjee, Saeed Khan, koalas, David Paul Morris, Lake Powell, Hurricane Ian, Ricardo Arduengo, Ian, Lawrence, Abdul Majeed, António Guterres Organizations: CNN, University of Colorado -, Getty, UK’s Met, Oregon Convention, Northern, World Health Organization, South Asia, Bloomberg, Western, Stony Brook University, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory ., UN Locations: University of Colorado - Boulder, Siberia, AFP, Oregon, Portland, Pacific, . Oregon, Washington, Canada, British Columbia, Canadian, Lytton, San Salvador de, Cercs, Catalonia, Spain, North America, Europe, China, Dahably, Wajir County, Kenya, Africa, Horn of Africa, Somalia, Ethiopia, Masseoud, Morocco, Portugal, Algeria, Kolkata, India, South Asia, South, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, Bangladesh, Thailand, New South Wales, Australia, Oroville, Oroville , California, States, California, Lake Oroville, Lake Mead, Lake, Nevada, Arizona, Mexico, Hurricane, Matlacha , Florida, Caribbean, Florida, Swat, Bahrain, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, Sindh, Balochistan

☆ What is a red flag warning? What to know as fire weather conditions affect more parts of the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Chris Panella | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Here's what to know when you see a red flag warning in your area, and how to protect yourself. Red flag warnings indicate dry, arid weather and strong wind conditions that increase the possibility of dangerous wildfires. One map shared on Twitter by climate reporter Dave Levitan shows the latest range of red flag warnings stretching from New Mexico to Massachusetts. Be careful with cigarettes during a red flag warning. Lastly, the NWS has some basic guidelines to avoid igniting fires during a red flag warning:

Houseboats on Lake Oroville during a drought in Oroville, California, U.S., on Monday, Oct. 11, 2021. Lake Oroville, California's second-largest reservoir, has experienced a dramatic rise in water levels after a series of atmospheric river storms in January triggered widespread flooding while boosting the Sierra Nevada snowpack and the state's drought-stricken reservoirs. Previous record-low water levels at Oroville were triggered by drought conditions exacerbated by climate change. While California consistently experiences drought, climate change has fueled especially high temperatures and dry soil that have significantly reduced water runoff into the reservoirs. Photos taken in 2021 and 2023 show how much more full Oroville is following the January storms:

☆ Killer whales moms spend more time with their sons than daughters, and it may be threatening their survival
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Southern Resident killer whales take care of their sons much longer than their daughters. Killer whale sons need their mom throughout their livesA Southern Resident killer whale and a calf. Among Southern Resident killer whales — a small population that spend the summer and fall off the coast of Washington state — daughters will learn pretty quickly how to fend for themselves. To care for their sons, moms have fewer babiesTwo Southern Resident killer whales. Southern Resident killer whales only feed on Chinook salmon, which is a tiny prey for a big lumbering male.

110 30% 50 70 90 150 200 300 400 Short-term view: Past month Long-term view: Past 3 years Redding Redding Sacramento Sacramento San Francisco San Francisco Fresno Fresno Los Angeles Los Angeles San Diego San Diego 110 30% 50 70 90 150 200 300 400 Short-term view: Past month Long-term view: Past 3 years Redding Redding Sacramento Sacramento San Francisco San Francisco Fresno Fresno Los Angeles Los Angeles San Diego San Diego 110 30% 50 70 90 150 200 300 400 Short-term view: Past month Long-term view: Past 3 years Redding Redding Sacramento Sacramento San Francisco San Francisco Fresno Fresno Los Angeles Los Angeles San Diego San Diego 110 30% 50 70 90 150 200 300 400 Short-term view: Past month Redding Sacramento San Francisco Fresno Los Angeles San Diego Long-term view: Past 3 years Redding Sacramento San Francisco Fresno Los Angeles San Diego 110 30% 50 70 90 150 200 300 400 Short-term view: Past month Redding Sacramento San Francisco Fresno Los Angeles San Diego Long-term view: Past 3 years Redding Sacramento San Francisco Fresno Los Angeles San Diego 110 30% 50 70 90 150 200 300 400 Short-term view: Past month Long-term view: Past 3 years Redding Redding Sacramento Sacramento San Francisco San Francisco Fresno Fresno Los Angeles Los Angeles San Diego San Diego Source: PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University Note: Data from the past six months is preliminary. California has built its water infrastructure — reservoirs, wells and irrigation systems — in part to account for the imbalanced timing in precipitation. California has a naturally variable climate: Periods of drought are punctuated by periods of wetter weather. A chart shows average snow water equivalent levels for each water year from 2003 through Jan. 17, 2023. Atmospheric rivers don’t always bring more snow; storms can actually shrink the snowpack if precipitation falls as rain instead of snow at high elevations.

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☆ California has been hammered with rain. It may not be enough to reverse its drought.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Evan Bush | Evan Bush Is A Science Reporter For Nbc News. He Can Be Reached At Evan.Bush Nbcuni.Com. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

California counts on a system of about 1,400 human-made surface reservoirs and thousands upon thousands of miles of levees to manage surface water. During the recent storms, extreme drought has buffered some impacts of intense rainfall with plenty of space in the state’s largest reservoirs, which have withered under drought. Before the series of atmospheric rivers, it was storing less than 1 million acre-feet of water. In the Central Valley, Californians extract about 2 million acre-feet more than what returns to the ground, on average, every year, Lund said. California legislators in 2014 passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which requires local agencies to reach groundwater sustainability by 2042.

☆ Explainer: Why weeks of rain in California will not end historic drought
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Daniel Trotta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

But the state's water infrastructure, mostly built in the 20th Century when the population was barely half of today's 40 million, is ill-equipped for the new situation. On Dec. 14, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California declared a drought emergency for all 19 million people in the region. Despite a deluge that by one estimate has been expected to dump more than 20 trillion gallons (80 trillion liters), the state's major reservoirs remain well below their historic average. INFRASTRUCTURE DEFICITThe state's infrastructure, largely a network of cement canals, lacks the capacity to capture excess stormwater. Even as the Colorado River basin faces its own drought, and the atmospheric rivers provide no relief, the Colorado River suffers more from overuse than from a lack of precipitation.

Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Wednesday as a powerful storm expected to bring heavy rain, snow and flooding began its potentially dangerous onslaught. Mandatory evacuation orders were in effect for several cities in Northern California, including Richmond in the Bay Area and Watsonville in Santa Cruz County. Several communities experiencing some of the biggest downpours were still cleaning up from flooding caused by a storm over the weekend. While the precipitation appears out-of-character for the drought-stricken state, California would normally expect to see this type of rainfall during an average winter, experts said. April 1 is a typical high point for snowpack in California, where snow melt feeds reservoirs in May and June.

☆ U.S. warns California cities to prepare for possible water cuts and fourth year of drought
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Houseboats on Lake Oroville during a drought in Oroville, California, U.S., on Monday, Oct. 11, 2021. Federal water managers on Monday warned California cities and industrial users receiving water from the Central Valley Project to prepare for a fourth year of drought and possibly "extremely limited water supply" during 2023. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, an agency of the Interior Department that oversees water resource management, said drought conditions in California have persisted despite early storms this month, and warned of looming water conservation actions. The agency said water storage is near historic lows in the reservoirs it oversees in the state, which irrigate more than 3 million acres of land in central California and supply major urban centers in the Greater Sacramento and San Francisco Bay areas. The project's water provides supplies for approximately 2.5 million people per year.

CONCOW, Calif. — Some survivors of California's deadliest wildfire continue to live in trailers, tents and makeshift homes nearly four years later as they wait for payments from a trust set up to compensate them. Inez Salinas's temporary trailer home and her car in Concow, Calif. Andri Tambunan for NBC NewsSalinas and her daughter River outside their temporary trailer home. Andri Tambunan for NBC NewsShe said she has not received enough money from the trust to rebuild her life: “I just want to move on. “Please just don’t forget about us.”For survivors of the state's deadliest and most destructive wildfire, time is measured by before and after. “It is my goal to help as many people as possible to get their lives back, their houses back, their businesses back,” Cathy Yanni, who oversees the Fire Victim Trust, said in a statement.

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