Another blast is on the way. Downtown Los Angeles (top) and Hollywood (R) in a storm on February 22, 2005 in Los Angeles, California. This is great information, by the way. You can hover (or click) on the graph to audit the data a little more clearly. This abundant moisture has dumped excessive amounts of rain, especially in Northern California and the central part of the state, which has led to flooding, landslides and numerous power outages. Look at where we were at the start of the water year. 2021 Associated Newspapers Limited. Southern California Annual Precipitation. Thank you and Im glad you find it useful! At least 17 people have been killed in the flooding. Fans at the Rose Bowl. Values are in inches of water or the equivalent amount of melted snow and ice. It shows colder temperature probabilities for the northern parts of the United States. Notes: Estimates are for Jan. 16 at 4 p.m. Pacific to Jan. 21 at 4 p.m. Forecast is as of 11:05 a.m. on Jan. 16. Other California water-related visualizations include reservoir levels in the state as well. Possible rainfall amounts forecast for the L.A. region range from a quarter of an inch to an inch and a quarter, Boldt said. Notes: Data shows the difference between precipitation amounts from Dec. 12 through Jan. 10 compared to the 1981-2010 average for the same period. An Ocean Water Quality Rain Advisory has been issued for all LA County beaches through Tuesday, Jan 17 at 12 p.m. Estimated wind speeds on Jan. 8 at 12 a.m. Pacific. Values are in inches of water or the equivalent amount of melted snow and ice. Southern California: Daily Total: Jul 1 to: To Date: Jul 1 to: Full Season: Since 12am: 15-Jan: Normal . More rain and snow fell during the weekend in storm-battered California, making travel dangerous and prompting evacuation warnings over flooding concerns statewide. The amount of precipitation has been well above average for many areas of California. With high pressure dominating , March isnt likely to go out like a lion, and a drought-busting March Miracle is completely out of the question, but even though models disagree on timing, forecasters do expect beneficial rain for the end of the month. California has received an average of more than 9in of rainfall since late December and some areas have already seen the amount of rain they typically get in the entire year, according to the . March 23, 2022 5 AM PT Spring is off to a warm start in Southern California, with temperatures expected to be 15-20 degrees above normal through Wednesday, forecasters say. Times are Pacific. The drought across California on January 10th compared to January 3rd. More storms coming through Southern California have washed part of a road near Ojai into the water. Here's the latest for Southern California by county: Due to the new storm systems, Santa Anita Park canceled all scheduled races on Saturday and Monday. Forty-six percent of the state is in severe drought, marking significant improvement from one week ago at 71 percent. It rained only 8.96 inches, about 39% of average, in that 12-month span. Animated map showing accumulated hourly precipitation from atmospheric rivers for Dec. 25th at 4 p.m. Pacific through January 4 at 12 p.m . Our interactive map allows you to see the local & national weather. This weakens the soil and can lead to landslides. National Weather Service The NWS said between a half-inch and 1.5 inches of rain were expected in Los Angeles County in the initial band of precipitation,. This season's cumulative rainfall as compared to the normal seasonal cumulative rainfall and last season's cumulative in Downtown L.A. See Historic Monthly Rainfall. The little survival gear they have it gets blown away pretty easily, Bob Erlenbusch, the executive director of the Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness, told the Guardian. In Palm Springs, which typically sees 4.61 inches of rain annually, 2 to 4 inches are forecast. This is a huge change from the data gathered only last week, on January 3, where 27.10 percent of the state was in "Extreme Drought", and only 2.07 percent was drought-free. Minor flooding and mudslides possible, but no major flooding expected. Clear. It's gotten to the point that some light accumulation from drizzle over the July Fourth holiday weekend moved the National. Current Outlooks; Submit Report; . Notes: Data reflects near real-time analysis of liquid precipitation amounts. 28 Dec 2022 0. Updated August 12, 2022 at 4:38 p.m. EDT | Published August 12, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. EDT Rocks and vegetation cover Highway 70 after a landslide in the Dixie Fire zone on Oct. 24, 2021, in Plumas. Map courtesy of NDMC. Bands of gusty thunderstorms started Saturday in the north and spread south, with yet another atmospheric river storm following close behind Sunday, the National Weather Service said. The state's normal wet season runs from late fall to the end of winter, but dismal precipitation left about 95 percent of California in severe drought at the start of spring. We went over there today about a mile downstream from where my wife was picked up and you can just see the aftermath the water receded theres just so much debris that was wrapped around trees.. The data is processed in javascript and visualized here using HTML, CSS and javascript and the open source Plotly javascript graphing library. The western coast of the United States has been hit relentlessly by a series of atmospheric rivers essentially plumes of concentrated moisture at the altitude where airplanes commonly fly and more moisture is expected in the days to come. And in Southern California, we've had a lot of rain the last couple weeks as well. Areas hit by wildfires in recent years faced the possibility of mud and debris sliding off denuded hillsides that have yet to fully recover their protective layer of vegetation. The second graph shows the percentiles of precipitation over the course of the historical water year, spreading out like a cone from the start of the water year (October 1). The Bay Area native is a graduate of UC Berkeley and started at the Los Angeles Times in 2004. The San Lorenzo River was declared at flood stage and drone footage showed numerous homes sitting in muddy brown water, with the top halves of cars peeking out. Same here re coloured lines not showing (except red & black, as mentioned). Closed until further notice to repair substantial storm damage. The climate is fairly cold there in february, but it is livable by dressing cosy. Those months should normally be the wettest of the year. Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? That system is expected to linger over the area into Monday's national holiday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, with the bulk of that day's rain expected in the morning. The other colors in the legend are hidden by default but if you click on the lines in the legend, you can make them show up. The visualization consists of two primary graphs both of which show the range of historical values for precipitation. The latest Drought Monitor numbers, released Thursday, show that severe and extreme drought doubled from just a week ago, now covering 13% of California. OP. The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. A little farther to the northwest, all lanes of the 710 Freeway were flooded between Anaheim and Willow streets. National Weather Service San Diego, CA 11440 W. Bernardo Court, Suite 230 SAN DIEGO, CA 92127 (858)-675-8700 Comments? These US Drought Monitor maps show drought conditions in California at the end of September and Jan. 10, 2023. In fact, the spring outlook issued by NOAA on Thursday predicts that the drought will expand with warmer conditions across the West. In photos posted online, the sheriffs office showed the thick mud, brush piles and debris teams have trudged through while searching for Kyle Doan. @nbcla #drought #California pic.twitter.com/Q4lwIZV7tf. - "T" = Trace (e.g., < 0.01", the smallest increment measured). Severe drought persists across portions of Riverside and San Bernardino counties, and small swaths of northern Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Please try another search. In the face of this multiyear drought, any news such as that is welcome. Two atmospheric rivers soaked the region in the span of days, bringing with them mass flooding, power outages and downed trees . Historical precipitation for northern California vs. October-January Precipitation (1921-2021). Near Ojai Sunday, parts of Route 33 were destroyed. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Severe weather including record heavy rain affected parts of Southern California, USA, and bordering parts of Baja California State in northern Mexico. A Cold Weather Alert will be in effect overnight in the following areas, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health: A winter weather advisory remains in effect until 3 a.m. Tuesday for the Los Angeles County mountains. California is soaked and even an inch more of rain can bring catastrophic impacts like flooding and mudslides.. These storms are among the most deadly natural disasters in the modern history of our state, Nancy Ward, the director of the governors office of emergency services said at a briefing on Friday. Map of California and surrounding areas showing the difference between precipitation amounts over the last 30 days and average precipitation during the same period from 1981-2010. A chance of rain is in the forecast every day through Saturday. Downtown Los Angeles received 1.82 inches of rain Saturday, breaking the old record of 1.56 inches set in 1978. See the latest California Doppler radar weather map including areas of rain, snow and ice. Current forecasts call for a chance of rain in Los Angeles and Orange. Hundreds of harrowing water rescues had to be performed by emergency workers as submerged streets shuttered highways and other transportation corridors. This amazing aerial video shows one of the many reasons State Route 33 is closed in both directions from Lomita Ave. in Ojai to the Ozena Fire Station (just south of Lockwood Valley Road) in Los Padres Nat'l Forest. Iceberger Remixed and Improved Iceberg Simulator. Monday: Rain in the morning, showers in the afternoon. More heavy rain has hit California as the latest in a series of storms swamped roads and battered coastlines. I would have liked to see a County by County, State map indicating the accumulation of Precipitation to date! The statewide precipitation of 3.25 inches was only 25% of average, topping the previous record-dry January through April from 2013, according to NOAA statistics. I used data for California rainfall totals from the California Department of Water Resources. A backcountry avalanche warning was issued for the central Sierra, including the greater Lake Tahoe area, through Monday. Thank you. December 2022 Weather Pattern Forecast Analysis Released for Southern California. PERCENTAGE OF 1991-2020 NORMAL TO DATE: M = Missing data which was not received from the National Weather Service. The result is excellent. At least 1 person has died and 2 are still missing after being swept away by flood waters in Ontario, California. First Name Frank Joined Nov 15, 2021 Threads 5 Messages 22 Reaction score 24 Location . The extended outlook from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for March 28 to April 1 favors somewhat above-average precipitation for almost all of California and the Southwest. A CHP officer responding to the scene was able to instruct them out of the car and get them to safety without injury. Home Weather Southern California Past weeks Past Weather in Southern California, California, USA Yesterday and Last 2 Weeks Weather Time Zone DST Changes Sun & Moon Weather Today Weather Hourly 14 Day Forecast Yesterday/Past Weather Climate (Averages) Currently: 34 F. Our forecasts are not direct predictions of rain/snow. According to the sheriff, the 16-year-old mother was running for her life with her baby in arms before they were killed. Gutting IRS Will Help Wealthy Avoid More Taxes | Opinion, Eliminating Income Tax Means More Money for Americans | Opinion. A home on agricultural land is seen amid flooding from the Salinas River in Salinas, California. U.S. Drought Monitor data shows that since October 2022, when 99.77 percent of the state was under drought conditions, small slivers of the state have been declared . Rain Coming to Southern California to Close Out 2022 A heavy rainstorm raises the water levels of the San Diego Creek in Irvine, Calif., on Dec. 14, 2021. California statewide. Three people are safe after their car was trapped on a cliffside in Santa Cruz County. Flow of atmospheric water vapor since Dec. 26. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. More than 16 percent of California was in exceptional drought at the start of the water year, but that category was wiped out last week after a barrage of winter storms. While these rains have clearly had a big impact on the drought across the state, it may not be enough, or the right conditions, to relieve the overarching megadrought that has plagued the western U.S. for decades. "However, the intense precipitation in California the past few weeks particularly late December and early January has significantly reduced drought intensity in California.". Posted 2022-12-27, The Miami Herald Headlines . Values are in inches of water or the equivalent amount of melted snow and ice. Severe to exceptional drought has persisted in some areas of the West since the summer of 2020 and drought has expanded to the southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley, said Jon Gottschalck of NOAAs Climate Prediction Center. The extended outlook favors above-average precipitation for most of California. Figure 1. It may be my system but I think not. Conditions should dry out by Tuesday, beginning a mostly rain-free week, but some Santa Ana winds could develop by later in the week. https://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/awipsProducts/RNORR4RSA.php. Sat 10 Sep 2022 14.04 EDT First published on Sat 10 Sep 2022 08.40 EDT. You can see the current water year plotted on this to show how it compares to historical values. Sunday: Mostly cloudy with rain developing in the evening. Data is downloaded from the California Data Exchange Center website of the California Department of Water Resources using a python script. Three inches at Palm Springs would put this month in the top three wettest Septembers for the city,. A powerful storm is bringing drenching rain or heavy snowfall to much of California as the state gets ready to usher in a new year By Associated Press | Dec. 31, 2022, at 1:26 p.m.. Q&A: will the California storms ease the states drought? The rest of the state is either under "Moderate Drought", or out of drought and classified as "Abnormally Dry", with 4.62 percent of the state now classified as such. How Fast Are California Reservoirs Filling Up? This history is great.Would be nice to know the number of years in the historyIMHO should be mentioned in the narrative, Your email address will not be published. Thanks again. That would be a continuation of the hot, dry pattern experienced this winter by Southern Californians, when a strong ridge of high pressure held sway much of the time over the West Coast. "Lower elevation valley/coastal rain and high elevation mountain snow is already ongoing this morning in the Pacific Northwest and will spread into California through the day Friday as another Pacific storm system approaches the coast.". The Tehachapi Wind Turbine Farm, located one hour north of Los Angeles, is viewed on November 15, 2022, near Mojave, California. These US Drought Monitor maps show drought conditions in California at the end of September and Jan. 10, 2023. Flood warnings cover a portion of south-west California, including western Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura. And in Southern California, we've had a lot of rain the last couple weeks as well. Reservoirs are refilling, but many remain far from full. Overall Seasonal Average Downtown Los Angeles (USC Campus) 1877-2022 Rainfall at the Getty Center. We had 0.18 on Jan. 17th in downtown L.A., so anything over that would exceed any storm since Dec. 30th.. Only a small portion of California along the Oregon border remains in extreme drought, the second-most severe category in the report. California state highway authorities said that parts of US and state highways were closed because of flooding, mud or rockslides, heavy snow or car and lorry crashes. A driver had to stop when they noticed the road in front of them just wasn't there. "A long-term drought, dating back to the 2019-2020 winter, continues across California, the Great Basin, and parts of the Pacific Northwest," according to the Drought Monitor report. That storm set several new rainfall records for the date, including downtown L.A. (1.82 inches), LAX (1.53 inches) and Long Beach airport (1.72 inches). The entire seaside community of Montecito home to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Oprah Winfrey and other celebrities was ordered to evacuate on the fifth anniversary of a mudslide that killed 23 people and destroyed more than 100 homes in the coastal enclave. The first storm is set to dig along the Northern California coast late Sunday night and into Monday, bringing more beneficial rain to the region for mainly Monday and Tuesday. Extreme drought was nearly wiped out in California due in large part to a series of winter storms that drenched the state and improved its vital snowpack in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, according to this week's U.S. Drought Monitor report. Multiple locations were found. This has been a deadly storm sequence. At Los Angeles International Airport, a record 1.53 inches fell Saturday, breaking the old record of 1.51 inches, also from 1978. Um, well We can praise Maya Jama without insulting Laura Whitmore, Why top BBC stars like Ken Bruce are quitting for rival media companies, Jacob Rees-Mogg's bonfire of EU laws is a vanity project that even Brexiteers want rid of, Lisa Nandy's 'prawn cocktail' plan to regenerate towns after the 'collapse' of levelling up, Robert Jenrick backs calls to strip serial rapist David Carrick of his Met Police pension, Grandmother, 75, lived minutes from hospital but died in agony after 8-hour wait for ambulance, Do not sell or share my personal information. Would be great to do the whole state (regions and total) and maybe a running 3 year agregate. A 2-year-old boy is dead following a hit-and-run crash that claimed the life of his 13-year-old brother last week. The high pressure area over California this week is not as strong or as long-lasting as the February heat wave, said Boldt. Sorry, the location you searched for was not found. National Weather Service data shows that the majority of California has received between 400 and 600 percent more rain than average for this time of year from December 26, 2022 to January 9, 2023. Please accept my thanks. "Timing also mattersall the rain at once means that much of it will run off into the ocean instead of filling California's reservoirs. A five-year-old boy vanished in floodwaters on Monday on the central coast. This California farm kingdom holds a key, These are the 101 best restaurants in Los Angeles, New Bay Area maps show hidden flood risk from sea level rise and groundwater, Gina Lollobrigida, film star who conquered Italy, Hollywood and the world, dies at 95, Storm sets new L.A. rain records. Member. With the years of drought, its been a joy to watch the daily increases in the reservoir water levels as this blessing of this atmospheric river has arrived. This spring, more than half of the U.S. is also forecast to have above-average temperatures, according to NOAA. On my page, the colored lines with the exception of the red current year and the black median line are all the same color blue. For now, the sodden state waits in anticipation for drier days, when the immense cleanup process can commence. This is exactly the visualization I was hoping existed where, even though my area is not included. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. By. Rivers have been turned into flood zones, forcing thousands of people thousands of people to be evacuated from their homes in towns with histories of deadly mudslides. After a sunny Christmas weekend, Southern California looks to be in for several days of rain to close out 2022. the NWS. There were no signs on the road warning of closures, his father told the Guardian, and water rapidly overtook the vehicle, pulling it toward a nearby creek. The 12.37 inches of rain San Francisco received from Dec. 26 . Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations National Centers for Environmental Prediction. On Jan. 8, wind speeds in the Central Valley and off the coast of San Francisco exceeded 39 miles per hour, the threshold for tropical-storm-force winds during hurricane season. The storms threatened coastal and riverside towns and left more than 200,000 homes and businesses without power early on Tuesday, according to the website poweroutage.us, which tracks utility reports. Most of Southern California falls into the moderate drought category. The torrential rain lashing California over the last few weeks has had a massive impact on the drought across the state. Its good to see the total over last, but I know that s a small part of of the big picture. (Weather station: George Air Force Base / Victorvi, USA). Required fields are marked *. At LAX, a record 1.53 inches fell Saturday, breaking the old record of 1.51 inches . The U.S. Drought Monitor shows that only 0.32 percent of the state is now under "Extreme Drought" conditions, with 45.68 percent in "Severe Drought", as of January 10, 2023. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Drivers make their way through pouring rain Saturday on the 15 Freeway in Fontana. There remains plenty of uncertainty with the rain early next week, said Eric Boldt, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. The Sheriff's Office has issued an updated press release on the search for missing 5-year-old Kyle Doan.https://t.co/mPVY9Xn18C pic.twitter.com/CBtjiwP8qo. 2021 -> Home July 23, 2022) OP . With a good weather, february is a good month to go in that area. After a brief respite, another storm is expected to barrel into the state on Wednesday, adding to the misery and further saturating areas already at risk of flooding and debris flows. But after that, cooler readings and some rain something that has been scarce since December are expected early next week. And the disruption to people, even people who have stayed relatively safe there are a lot of folks who have been without power and without road access to where they live for a long time.. George Rose/Getty Images. Forecasters have said that the succession of atmospheric rivers, and the storms that they produce, could continue into this week. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/11/us/california-storm-maps-weather-rain.html. pic.twitter.com/40IBsXzzxR. I dont have anything but gratitude and praise for the unpaid work you have done. Questions? Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. January 10, 2023 4:47 pm. Yes, the percentile lines are supposed to all be blue. "That just beats the driest three-year period on record from 2013 to 2015. The statewide onslaught of storms has helped put a. December 27, 2022 / 6:13 PM / KCAL NEWS With rain falling across the Southland, Los Angeles County health officials Tuesday issued their standard warning for people to avoid entering ocean. According to the National Weather Service, the new rain brought seasonal totals to 11.91 inches, which is 6.46 inches above normal to date.. The weather service issued a flood watch on Tuesday for the entire San Francisco Bay Area, along with Sacramento Valley and Monterey Bay. Animated map showing accumulated hourly precipitation from atmospheric rivers for Dec. 25th at 4 p.m. Pacific through January 8 at 4 p.m. Notes: Search and rescue after floods in Ontario, CA, USA, 08 November 2022. The region was hit by intense storms on Saturday. I used data for California rainfall totals from the California Department of Water Resources. Snow melted faster than expected, reducing snowpack to just 38% of average by April 1. More than 96,000 people were placed under evacuation orders or warnings as the National Weather Service issued flood watches for roughly 90% of the states sprawling population. Downtown Los Angeles received 1.82 inches of rain Saturday, breaking the old record of 1.56 inches set in 1978. DROUGHT UPDATE: The continuous storms have improved our drought conditions! There is an even larger difference between the latest drought data and that gathered in October 2022, when 16.57 percent of the state was in the drought monitor's most severe category of drought, "Exceptional Drought", and 24.34 percent was under "Extreme Drought". The dry stretch followed a promising December when storms drenched parts of the state and brought snow to the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The boys mother was driving a truck when it became stranded near Paso Robles. "We're heading in the right direction," said NBC4 forecaster . The damage will probably be at least in the hundreds of millions if not higher before all is said and done, Swain said. Explainer: How Much Will All This Rain Help California's Drought? . A flash flood warning for southwestern Los Angeles County that had been issued before 7 p.m. expired early Tuesday. More rain on the way through next week. Two unhoused people in Sacramento died earlier this month when trees fell on to their tents. Flooding was reported in the Long Beach Peninsula community at about 2 p.m. Saturday, affecting residences along 67th Place. 12:39pm EST. In central Californias Calaveras county, a tornado with 90mph winds uprooted a barn. Southern California will get a break in the rain for part of Sunday, but a new storm is on the way. US Dept of Commerce Officials say at least 70 people near the canyon had to be airlifted to safety in the last week. California closes out 2022 with heavy rain, Sierra snow Wind Advisory from SUN 6:00 PM PST until MON 4:00 AM PST, Santa Lucia Mountains and Los Padres National Forest Beach Hazard Statement. The first system is expected to bring heavy rain across California as it moves inland Saturday evening. There were 3.89 inches reported at Coto de Caza, 3.27 inches reported at Lower Silverado Canyon and 6.15 inches reported at Horsethief Rice Canyon in the Santa Ana Mountains. Weather.gov > San Diego, CA > Southern California Annual Precipitation . Ive been going to your site daily since I found it before the first big rainstorm of last week and the new one expected this week of January 1, 2023. Please Contact Us. Los Angeles saw record rainfall Saturday, leading to flooded streets and emergencies including the rescue of a woman hanging onto a tree in a Laguna Hills creek to multiple cars being crushed by a fallen tree in a Woodland Hills parking lot. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. Thank you for your generous gift of your time to inform others! Current Hazards. All of Southern California's dry vegetation has gotten a good soaking. Rain from Kay had begun falling Friday in far Southern California, including San Diego, and far southwest Arizona, including Yuma, as flash flooding risks increase. Precipitation, Southern California, 24 hours ending 5 a.m. Sept. 10, 2022 As of 5 a.m. the rain had occurred as far north as Santa Barbara and Edwards Air Force Base. The vigil will be held Tuesday night at the Lake Elsinore Sheriff's Station and is open to the public, This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The U.S. Drought Monitor report released Thursday. And 1.72 inches fell at Long Beach Airport, surpassing the 1.48 inches from 1978, according to the National Weather Service. Chilly temperatures and overcast skies returned to Southern California on Tuesday, Dec. 27, bringing anticipated rainfall. By the end of that year, nearly 75% of the state was in severe drought conditions or worse, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. After celebrating a warm and sunny holiday weekend a jarring juxtaposition with the dangerous snowstorms on the East Coast Southern California is bracing for heavy rain and a read full story. The series of storms that have pummeled California since late December have killed at least 19 people, brought hurricane force winds that toppled trees and power lines, cutting energy to thousands, and flooded roads and rivers, covering swaths of land in dense mud and debris that stretches for miles. NWS January, February, and March had the least rain and snow on record for any of these months in California. Full closure extended for residents who live north of Fairview Road, SR-126 in Ventura County: All WB lanes closed from Hopper Canyon Rd. We can say goodbye to the threat of wildfires for the remainder of 2021 and early 2022, thanks to all the rain we've been getting lately. Nearby residents say cranes and tractors were breaking apart the damaged docks all weekend long. Photo courtesy of MonicaVolpin & Pixabay.com. These offshore winds can often be counted on to heat up coastal Southern California. Snowpack was far below normal in Spring 2022. Clear. Not all risky days will have rain/snow. This year has been a relatively dry year and wanted to visualize how this year compares with historical levels for this time of year. Its horrifying. 2022-2023 CALIFORNIA RAINFALL SEASON . The November 2022 forecast went extremely well, calling for cooler than normal temperatures and above average precipitation. Another blast is on the way. More than half of Californias 58 counties were declared disaster areas and repairing the damage may cost more than $1 billion, according to Brian Ferguson, spokesperson for the state Office of Emergency Services.