Tag Archive for: astronomical rainfall

Hilary ‘Reshaped the Landscape’ of Death Valley; Storm Damage Closes Park, Maybe for Months

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Hayley Smith

Clouds of thick white dust billowed through Death Valley National Park this week as crews maneuvered bulldozers and Big Cats to clear the remnants of a rare and record-breaking tropical storm.

On Aug. 20, Tropical Storm Hilary tore through the park near the border of Nevada, dropping more than a year’s worth of rain — 2.2 inches — in one day, forever transforming one of the hottest and driest places on Earth.

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California Drought, Australia Floods: Two Sides of La Niña Amplified by Climate Change

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Paul Duginski

California just notched its driest January and February on record, sounding alarms about a third year of record drought.

Across the Pacific Ocean, thousands are fleeing record flooding in Australia. Officials in Brisbane reported 31 inches of rain in six days, and Jonathan Howe, a government meteorologist quoted by the Associated Press, called the amount of rainfall “astronomical.”

Meanwhile, in the eastern Horn of Africa, prolonged drought is raising the frightening specter of famine for millions.

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