Increased Precipitation and Flooding - Dylan Batie
Increased precipitation from stronger storm systems will cause flooding in the Chico area. In 2017, damages from flooding, landslides and erosion cost the state $1.5 billion (1). The monetary loss included property and infrastructure damages to the Oroville Dam spillway that caused the evacuation of 188,000 residents downstream (1). Cal-Adapt projects that the average rainfall in 2037 will be 26.1” annually which is an increase of one inch from the current average of 25.1” (2). However, there will be years with even more precipitation and when paired with more intense storms flash flooding will occur in some areas of Chico.
Chico State is vulnerable to flooding since Big Chico Creek runs through it. Some of the buildings close to the creek will likely suffer damages should the creek flood (3). Within a ten-year period between 2032-2042, Cal-Adapt predicts that 4 of them could have annual precipitation of 31” or more with the most being 35” in 2032 (2). The campus should invest in adaptation for these flood events to keep the campus and its inhabitants safe rather than pay the more expensive cost of fixing damages after it happens.
- “U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather & Climate Disasters 1980-2018.” NOAA. Accessed October 24, 2018. https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions/events.pdf.
- "Annual Averages." Cal-Adapt. Accessed October 24, 2018. https://cal-adapt.org/tools/annual-averages/#climatevar=pr&scenario=rcp45&lat=39.71875&lng=-121.84375&boundary=locagrid&units=inches per day.
- "Butte County GIS." Geocortex Viewer for HTML5. Accessed October 24, 2018. http://gis.buttecounty.net/Public/index.html?viewer=dssearch.
