Storms
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Boat

California's 'ARkStorm': Historic 1000-year floods of 1861-62 featured 8 weeks of atmospheric rivers

This 1861 photograph shows flooding at K and
This 1861 photograph shows flooding at K and Front streets Sacramento. A nine-year stretch of calm weather was broken with record flooding in the winter of 1861 to 1862.
Imagine Disneyland under feet of water for weeks. Rivers swelling to levels never seen before and never seen since. Days of rain stretch into weeks as floodwaters rise to epic levels.

California may have endured an onslaught of tropically-infused atmospheric river storms that filled the calendar for months at the end of 2022 and the start of 2023 and is staring at another atmospheric river this weekend, but those storms pale in comparison to the historic floods during the winter of 1861-1862.

Colloquially today known as an "ARkStorm" - a deft reference to an "atmospheric river (AR) 1,000 (k) year storm" - the storms were a recipe for disaster for a young region that had recently been settled. Abraham Lincoln was president at the time, and America was embroiled in the first months of the Civil War. But out West, California's population was bulging to about a half million in the wake of the great Gold Rush about a dozen years prior.

Tornado2

Waterspout filmed in Florianópolis, Brazil

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Waterspout is recorded in Santinho, in the north of the island of Santa Catarina, in Florianópolis.


Cloud Lightning

2023: Destructive Storms and Sheets of Rain in the Netherlands

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© Ilse KootkarThe lighthouse Kijkduin Light in Huisduinen, Netherlands, with a sun halo in the sky on March 6th, 2023.
2023 started with snowfall in eastern and southeastern parts of the Netherlands and ended with record high water levels due to record-breaking rainfall. The wettest year since measurements began also included other destructive weather events such as storms and tornadoes. Below are some highlights from extreme weather events in the Netherlands in 2023.

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Snowflake

All 50 states have seen snow this season

Measurable snowfall in the CONUS as of January 17.
© NOAAMeasurable snowfall in the CONUS as of January 17.
The United States has one of the most diverse climates in the world. It has forests, beaches, deserts, plains, and mountains. This allows the population to experience an array of different landscapes and weather conditions.

However, despite the incredible diversity and differences in longitude and latitude of the country, and the fact that only 37 of the 50 states have operating ski areas, remarkably all 50 states have seen snowfall this season. This isn't unheard of as it is winter and it has happened before. The hardest state to get snowfall is Florida, which saw flakes on January 17, in the town of Milton, after the recent winter storm Heather.

Cloud Precipitation

A month's worth of rain in 3 days triggers dangerous flash flooding in Texas and Louisiana

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Dangerous flash flooding is continuing across parts of Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi early Thursday as drenching storms deluge the South.

More than a month's worth of rain has fallen in several Texas and Louisiana cities from Monday to Wednesday. But a few Texas cities have picked up nearly double what's typical for January in the same timeframe.

Rainfall totals by Wednesday morning neared 6 inches in the College Station, Texas, area - about 80 miles northwest of Houston - since Monday. The city picks up around 3 inches of rain on average in January.

The week's rainfall eclipsed 10 inches west of Houston, in Industry and Fayetteville, Texas.

The torrential rainfall is part of a multi-day flood threat that began Monday and reached its peak intensity Wednesday.


Snowflake

More boats sink, roofs collapse, avalanche danger remains high as snowfall pummels Juneau, Alaska

A sunken boat in Aurora Harbor on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024
© Mikko Wilson/KTOOA sunken boat in Aurora Harbor on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024
Several boats have sunk and at least one roof has caved in as Alaska's capital city remains under avalanche alerts amidst a record-breaking snowfall.

The City and Borough of Juneau put out a statement Wednesday that said avalanches have come down on Basin Road and above Behrends Avenue, the same spot where a slide occurred last week. A city official said that Basin Road is closed where it intersects with Eighth Street.

Four boats sank in the city harbor early Wednesday morning, according to Juneau Harbormaster Matt Creswell, who said he is concerned more vessels are at risk of sinking due to the heavy snowfall. Creswell urged all boat owners to check on their boats immediately and clear off any snow they can.


Snowflake

Winter storm brings record snowfall to Gifu, Shiga prefectures in Japan - 19 inches of snowfall in 6 hours

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Heavy snow is falling in regions mainly along the Sea of Japan coast with record snowfall observed in Gifu and Shiga prefectures.

The Japan Meteorological Agency says the season's most powerful cold air mass combined with a winter-type pressure system has brought record snowfall to the Tokai and Kinki regions.

In the 6-hour period through 1 p.m. on Wednesday, 49 centimeters of snow had fallen in the town of Sekigahara in Gifu Prefecture and 40 centimeters in Maibara City, Shiga Prefecture. They represent the heaviest snowfall on record for those areas.


Attention

Large waves flood the streets of Orchard Beach, Maine

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Powerful waves battered Orchard Beach in Maine. The waves flooded the streets as people climbed on benches to avoid getting wiped out by the water.


Cloud Precipitation

Flooding in northern England after Storm Jocelyn

The River Ouse burst its banks, in central York,
© Paul EllisThe River Ouse burst its banks, in central York, following Storm Jocelyn which brought strong winds and heavy rain across much of the country.
Aerial footage shows flooding across parts of York after Storm Jocelyn battered the UK with strong winds and heavy rain, only two days after the deadly Storm Isha hit the country.

Jocelyn, the 10th named storm of the season, caused major travel disruption in England and Scotland and brought flood warnings amid rising water levels.

Source: PA


Cloud Precipitation

Heavy rain causes flooding in Baja California, Mexico

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Emergency service workers had a busy day in Baja California on Monday as heavy rain caused flooding in Tijuana and other parts of the northern border state.

South of Tijuana in the municipality of Playas de Rosarito, 10 people were rescued after their vehicles became submerged in water when a canal overflowed and flooded two main roads, said local Civil Protection chief Arturo García Ames.

In Tijuana, firefighters rescued a woman on Monday morning when her vehicle was swept away by floodwaters on the city's southside.

The news website Zeta reported that people were rescued in various parts of the northern border city, where many roads were affected by flooding. Two people, one an elderly man, were rescued by firefighters when they got into trouble attempting to cross swollen streams in Tijuana.