USA NOW! Atmospheric River Fuels Chaos in California: Tornado, Floods, and Snowfall

On Saturday, December 14, California, USA, was hit by abnormal weather phenomena. A storm with a rare tornado, formed against the backdrop of a powerful atmospheric river, swept through several cities, causing chaos, flooding, and power outages.

A tornado, classified as EF1 by the National Weather Service, struck the small town of Scotts Valley in Santa Cruz County. It threw cars off the road, injuring five people. Local police officers reported being shocked by the scale of the destruction they saw when they arrived after hearing about a "vehicle collision." According to them, utility poles were heavily damaged and had tilted at unnatural angles, as if they had been knocked down.

In the morning, the weather service also issued a tornado warning for San Francisco, which was later canceled. Notably, this was the first such warning for the city and county of San Francisco since reliable weather observations began in 1950.

Tornadoes are a rare occurrence in California: an average of only 11 are recorded annually, mostly in spring and autumn, but not in December.

Other cities in California also suffered from the storm. In Mill Valley, north of San Francisco, cars were stuck on flooded streets due to the flooding. In Novato, strong winds brought down power lines, leaving much of the town without electricity. The storm also affected the mountain regions of the state, with heavy snowfalls around Lake Tahoe and Mammoth Lakes.

Abnormal natural catastrophes are occurring more frequently around the world, posing a threat to human life, destroying property, and damaging city infrastructure. Why is this happening, and what events should we be prepared for in the near future? Answers can be found at the “Global Crisis. The Responsibility” forum.