• Massive California Highway 1 landslide seen from space

    On the night of May 20, 2017, more than a million tons of rocks and dirt spilled over California's iconic Highway 1. The slide was so large it can be seen from space. The slide covered roughly 530 m (0.3 miles) of the scenic route in 10 to 12 m (35 to 40 feet)…

  • From drought to deluge, preparing for weeks of Katrina-style flooding

    California has spectacularly emerged from one of its driest periods on record and ended its five-year drought by enduring one of its wettest periods on record. Its reservoirs, lakes, and mountainsides are now brimming with water and snow, though scientists caution…

  • Unusually strong storm takes aim at California, Oregon and Washington

    An unusually strong spring storm will move into California and spread across the rest of the western states through the weekend as the region enters a period of unsettled weather with a couple of strong cyclones. Heavy rains are expected and localized flash flooding…

  • California droughts and floods linked to distinctive atmospheric waves

    In a recent study, scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) found that the persistent high-pressure ridge off the west coast of North America that blocked storms from coming onshore during the winters of 2013-14 and 2014-15 was associated…

  • Historic earthquakes discovered along San Andreas Fault

    In a new study, USGS geologist Dr. Kate Scharer and her team excavated trenches across the San Andreas Fault – near Frazier Mountain in northeastern Kern County – to investigate the timing of sand, mud, and gravel deposits that were episodically ripped…

  • Worst flooding in 100 years hits San Jose, California

    Some 14 000 residents of San Jose, a large city in California's Bay Area, are under mandatory evacuation orders with another 36 000 in the recommended evacuation area after Coyote Creek, Santa Clara County's longest, overflowed in what officials are calling…

  • Mandatory evacuations ordered in parts of California

    Mandatory evacuations have been ordered in parts of Northern California Monday, February 20, 2017, as another heavy rainmaker slammed the region. Many rivers in Northern California are at or above flood stage after a series of powerful storms hit the state in recent…

  • Massive storm slams California, breaks records

    A massive storm, one of the strongest to hit the region in a decade, smashed Southern California on Friday, February 17, 2017, bringing heavy rain and powerful winds. At least 4 people have been killed and numerous injured. The storm downed trees and power lines,…

  • Ventura fault can cause stronger shaking and more damage

    A new study suggests that the fault under Ventura, California would cause stronger shaking during an earthquake and more damage that previously suspected. The Ventura Fault, also known as Ventura-Pitas Point fault, in southern California has been the focus of a lot…