Wildfires, El Nino, Heavy Rain, A Recipe For Destructive Mudslides, Floods In California
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Scientists say Californians may be in for one of the wettest winters in years due to a powerful El Nino event, but areas scorched by wildfires will be especially vulnerable to mudslides and flooding.
Predictions for a strong El Nino later this year are nearly 100% certain, bringing with it an above-normal hurricane season in the Eastern Pacific, according to the International Research Institute For Climate and Society.
El Nino occurs when the equatorial waters of the Pacific ocean heat up. The warmer temperatures have persisted through July and scientists at the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center expect these conditions to last until Spring 2016.
That could bring above normal rainfall to many parts of California, according to the Los Angeles Times. Although the rain is much needed, it also could cause flooding and mudslides in barren areas charred from recent wildfires. Fire officials are asking residents in wildfire areas to prepare for coming rainstorms.
In June, hundreds of lightning strikes sparked 36 wildfires in Northern California.
The Lake Fire in Southern California burned more than 31,359 acres of trees and brush in June and July. According to Cal Fire it is just now 98% contained.
Currently, more than a dozen wildfires are burning across the state in various stages of containment, including the 150-acre Deer Fire in San Luis Obispo County.
