"Possibility of a Major Flood Occurring Once Every 100-200 Years"... California, USA 'On Alert'

1862 Great Flood, 760mm Rainfall in San Francisco
"Occurs About 5 Times Every 1000 Years"

A major flood of a scale that could occur once in 100 or 200 years has been raised as a possibility in California, USA. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Gunchan] A warning has been issued that a major flood, not seen since 1862, could occur in California, USA.

Recently, US media outlets CNN and The Washington Post (WP) reported that there is a possibility of a major flood occurring in California that could happen once every 100 or 200 years.

The US National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and researchers from the University of California stated in a paper published on the 12th in the international journal Science Advances, "Based on historical data, another major flood should have occurred since 1862," adding, "but it has not happened yet."

According to reports, a major flood occurred in California in 1862. At that time, a month-long storm brought 30 inches (about 760mm) of rain to San Francisco, and up to 100 inches (about 2540mm) of rain and snow fell in the mountainous areas.

Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California and one of the co-authors, said, "The issue is not whether a major flood will occur, but when it will happen." He explained, "Before 1862, such floods typically occurred about five times every 1,000 years. While 100 or 200 years may sound like a long time on a human timescale, these events happen quite periodically."

Swain predicted that the scale of future major floods could increase due to climate change. If such a flood occurs, it is expected that most of California's major highways will be swept away by water and become inaccessible.