Could California see Texas-level flash flooding? Experts say 'Yes'

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- As the decease toll from flash flooding successful Central Texas exceeds 100 radical and is expected to rise, clime experts pass that what seems similar the unthinkable could hap successful California.

While utmost rainfall events are little communal successful the Golden State than successful the South, scientists pass that flash flooding is becoming progressively apt arsenic clime alteration reshapes our upwind patterns.

EXPLAINER: What caused the catastrophic flooding successful Central Texas

"We're flooding similar we didn't usage to flood, and it's causing each sorts of problems," said Dr. William Sweet with NOAA.

Sweet says tempest surges and precipitation events are increasing not lone much frequent, but much intense.

ABC7 Meteorologist Drew Tuma agrees, saying California has a unsocial acceptable of vulnerabilities.

"A batch of times we deliberation astir this menace during the monsoon season, due to the fact that that is simply a clip erstwhile we tin spot a batch of moisture determination crossed our state," said Tuma. "We thought astir it a batch during the drought years of the past decennary due to the fact that we had a akin topography. Our ungraded was truly dry. That means runoff happens truly easily, but this is simply a menace that we person to look yearly."

California has already seen the consequences. A 2017 nationalist flood study warned the West Coast was becoming much prone to flash flooding - and that aforesaid year, devastating floods deed San Jose, swamping neighborhoods on Coyote Creek.

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Unlike Texas, California isn't arsenic exposed to tropical moisture. But Tuma said a cleanable tempest of conditions could inactive pb to large destruction. In Texas, helium said the 3 biggest contributing factors were chiefly the leftover moisture successful the ambiance from Tropical Storm Barry, the hilly terrain successful Central Texas, and "exceptional drought."

"We ticker the tropics. We ticker the Eastern Pacific for storms forming adjacent Mexico," Tuma said. "Sometimes that moisture tin enactment its mode up to California, and we tin spot it driblet a batch of moisture successful a abbreviated magnitude of clip - flooding akin to what we're seeing crossed different parts of the country."

In Texas, determination are increasing questions astir the deficiency of warnings and readiness up of the caller deadly floods. Tuma recommends Californians double-check their telephone settings to guarantee they person exigency alerts, particularly arsenic clime patterns shift.