California Under State of Emergency as Atmospheric River Causes Flash Flooding and Other Hazards

Unique Points

• An intense atmospheric river is moving into California Sunday
• The Santa Barbara Airport closed due to flooding on the airfield and cancelled all commercial flights.
• A first ever Hurricane Force Wind Warning was issued off parts of the Central California coast due to extremely strong winds that could cause hazardous seas which will likely capsize or damage vessels and severely reduce visibility.

Accuracy

• The first atmospheric river hit California last week.
• Winds gusted to 70-90 mph in many peaks across the entire Francisco Bay Area and Central Coast on Sunday, February 4th.
• There was a marginal threat for severe weather across the region overnight, per the NWS.
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an emergency proclamation for eight southern counties including Los Angeles which was at high risk from potentially deadly flooding during this atmospheric river event that Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said had the potential to be historic.
• Santa Barbara residents stand along a flooded street on February 4th.
• The storm disrupted flights into and out of California.
• Some universities announced they were moving to remote classes on February 5th due to powerful winds and rain.
• A giant tree fell on a house in San Jose during the atmospheric river storms event on February 4th.
• A person stands near a boat that washed ashore (L) during the storm in Santa Barbara on February 4th.
• A vehicle after being swept off the road on Highway 101 in Sunnyvale as an atmospheric river storm hits on February 4th.
• Storm clouds and rain over Topanga in Los Angeles County on February 4th.
• A flooded street in Santa Barbara, California on February 4th.

Deception (50%)

• More than 800,000 customers are without power in California but does not provide any context or comparison with previous outages.
• The author claims that there are indications of a strong hurricane force wind warning but fails to mention what those indications are and how they support this claim.
• The article states that some residents have been told to evacuate but does not provide any specific details on which communities or how many people were affected.
• The title implies that the entire state of California is experiencing flooding and mudslides when only certain areas are affected.
• The author claims that a rare Level 4 risk of excessive rainfall has been expanded to include Los Angeles but fails to mention that this was already expected due to previous storms.

Fallacies (85%)

• The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the National Weather Service and other experts without providing any context or analysis of their qualifications or expertise. Additionally, the author uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing the potential for flooding and landslides as a threat to lives and property.

Bias (85%)

• The author uses language that depicts the situation as life-threatening
• There are multiple examples of bias in terms of political ideology, with references to Tropical Storm Hilary from last August being used to suggest a connection between climate change and extreme weather events.

Site Conflicts Of Interest (0%)

Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)

None Found At Time Of Publication

Unique Points

• The Santa Barbara Airport closed due to flooding on the airfield and cancelled all commercial flights.
• San Diego has cleared about four miles worth of vegetation and other obstructions from storm channels, which is twice the amount work done in an average year since a storm drenched the city on January 22, deputy chief operating officer Kris McFadden said.
• Low-lying areas of San Diego will be re-issued an evacuation warning Sunday evening ahead of a storm hitting the area.
• 19 people were rescued off the coast of Long Beach after their sailboat mast broke off amid strong winds on Sunday.
• Rising water levels at Mission Creek in Santa Barbara spurred evacuations in that city as well as nearby areas, including Montecito and Hot Springs Creek.
• A flash flood warning has been issued for eastern Los Angeles County, including downtown Los Angeles and the arena where the Grammy Awards are being held on Sunday night.
• Multiple universities in California have pivoted to online classes Monday due to extreme wind and rain conditions.
• Over 550,000 customers in California are now experiencing power outages as a result of heavy rain and wind.

Accuracy

No Contradictions at Time Of Publication

Deception (50%)

• The statement 'Santa Barbara Airport closes due to flooding on the airfield' is false.

Fallacies (85%)

• The National Weather Service shows that the incoming storm system has the potential to drop a significant and unusual amount of rainfall on San Diego
• Mayor Todd Gloria stated during a news conference that this decision to issue this warning is not taken lightly. It is becoming clear that these kind of rain events might become our new normal and what we must adapt to, meaning that we will face this situation multiple times.
• Residents in those areas will receive a text notifying them of the evacuation warning
• One person suffered non-life-threatening injuries, though it was unclear if that person was hospitalized

Bias (85%)

• Residents in those areas will receive a text notifying them of the evacuation warning, Gloria said.
• The National Weather Service shows that the incoming storm system has the potential to drop a significant and unusual amount of rainfall on San Diego, Mayor Todd Gloria said during a news conference Sunday. The city will likely see somewhere between 2 to 2.5 inches of rain from Sunday to Tuesday, with some areas potentially getting a half an inch of rain per hour.

Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)

Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)

• Antoinette Radford has previously reported on Santa Barbara Airport flooding
• Zoe Sottile and Matt Meyer have previously reported on San Diego County's response to the storm system

Unique Points

• The first atmospheric river hit California last week.
• Winds gusted to 70-90 mph in many peaks across the entire Francisco Bay Area and Central Coast on Sunday, February 4th.
• There was a marginal threat for severe weather across the region overnight, per the NWS.
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an emergency proclamation for eight southern counties including Los Angeles which was at high risk from potentially deadly flooding during this atmospheric river event that Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said had the potential to be historic.
• Santa Barbara residents stand along a flooded street on February 4th.
• The storm disrupted flights into and out of California.
• Some universities announced they were moving to remote classes on February 5th due to powerful winds and rain.
• A giant tree fell on a house in San Jose during the atmospheric river storms event on February 4th.
• A person stands near a boat that washed ashore (L) during the storm in Santa Barbara on February 4th.
• A vehicle after being swept off the road on Highway 101 in Sunnyvale as an atmospheric river storm hits on February 4th.
• Storm clouds and rain over Topanga in Los Angeles County on February 4th.
• A flooded street in Santa Barbara, California on February 4th.

Accuracy

• <p>A person stands near a boat that washed ashore (L) during the storm in Santa Barbara on February 4th.</p>
• <p>A vehicle after being swept off the road on Highway 101 in Sunnyvale as an atmospheric river storm hits on February 4th.</p>
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Deception (100%)

None Found At Time Of Publication

Fallacies (85%)

• > A powerful storm slamming California triggered evacuations and left over 800,000 residents without power Sunday
• > The big picture: California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an emergency proclamation for eight southern counties, including Los Angeles which was at high risk from potentially deadly flooding during this atmospheric river event that Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said had the potential to be historic.
• < A giant tree fell on a house in San Jose during the atmospheric river storms event on Feb. 4
• > Storm clouds and rain over Topanga in Los Angeles County on Feb. 4

Bias (85%)

• A giant tree fell on a house in San Jose during the atmospheric river storms event
• Rebecca Falconer An aerial image taken on Sunday, Feb. 4 of flooding in Petaluma in the San Francisco Bay Area of California
• Storm clouds and rain over Topanga in Los Angeles County
• The big picture: California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an emergency proclamation for eight southern counties, including Los Angeles which was at 'high risk' from potentially deadly flooding during this atmospheric river event that Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said had 'the potential to be historic'

Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)

• Rebecca Falconer is a reporter for Axios who covers California politics and natural disasters. In this article, she reports on the atmospheric river that triggered flooding rains in Petaluma, which was heavily affected by the storm.

Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)

Unique Points

• Los Angeles and San Diego are under a State of Emergency due to the threat of flash flooding from an atmospheric river.
• The storm has already caused damage in northern and central sections of California, with snow accumulating along the Sierra Nevada.
• Firefighters assisted in evacuating people from red-tagged units and removing fallen trees that blocked roads.

Accuracy

• The storm has already caused damage in northern and central sections of California
• A dangerous situation exists in Arroyo Grande due to downed trees blocking power lines.
• Evacuation warnings were issued due to the multiple days of excessive rain expected in Southern California.

Deception (90%)

• The storm has already lashed northern and central sections of the state, but then goes on to say that snow is accumulating along the Sierra Nevada. This contradicts itself as snow cannot fall from a region where rainfall has occurred.

Fallacies (85%)

• The article contains several examples of informal fallacies, including sensationalist language used to describe the severity of the storm and its potential impact on Southern California. The author also uses anecdotal evidence from various sources to support their claims about flooding and other hazards caused by the storm.
• For example, in one sentence, the article states that 'a dangerous situation in Arroyo Grande' occurred due to a tree falling through a roof. This is not necessarily true as there may have been other factors contributing to this incident.

Bias (85%)

• `Life-threatening flash and urban flash flooding possible in the high risk area`
• `The Golden State mobilized and prepositioned a record 8,500 emergency responders ready for flooding, landslide and travel emergencies`
• `Unlike the last system, this storm won’t be in a hurry to leave. That will keep the atmospheric river of moisture pointed at California for about three days as the rain lingers into Tuesday.`

Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)

None Found At Time Of Publication

Author Conflicts Of Interest (50%)

• NOAA's Weather Prediction Center (WPC) is responsible for issuing warnings about flash floods.

Unique Points

• A major rain and wind storm has begun to smash into the Southern California coast today
• The storm is expected to drop as much as 8 inches of rain along the coast and in valley areas
• Rain could fall at a rate of more than one inch per hour in some areas

Accuracy

• The storm is expected to drop four to eight inches of rain in lower-lying areas, with eight to 14 inches of rain in the foothills and mountains.
• Rain could fall at a rate of more than one inch per hour in some areas. Heavy showers and thunderstorms combined with very dangerous winds also upped the chances of potentially dangerous flash flooding and rough surf, with flood watches in effect across the area.
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Sunday in eight Southern California counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura.
• The NWS predicted wind gusts upwards of 60-70 miles per hour
• Coastal flooding was possible

Deception (50%)

• The article quotes officials who ordered residents in parts of Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties to evacuate but fails to mention any other areas where similar orders were issued. This omission is deceptive as it gives readers a false sense of security by implying that only certain areas are at risk.
• The article claims that there was only one previous storm in Southern California just days before the current storm, when in fact there were two separate events within a short period of time.
• The article quotes meteorologists who predict heavy showers and thunderstorms combined with very dangerous winds upped the chances of potentially dangerous flash flooding and rough surf. However, this statement is also misleading as it implies that these conditions are only possible due to the wind speeds when in fact they could have occurred even without strong winds.

Fallacies (75%)

• > A major rain and wind storm has begun to smash into the Southern California coast today, just days after a separate storm drenched the area. Meteorologists and local officials have warned residents in Los Angeles and beyond to prepare for potentially life-threatening conditions. <br> The author uses an appeal to authority by citing meteorologists and local officials as sources of information without providing any context or analysis of their credibility.
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Sunday in eight Southern California counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura. <br> The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the governor as a source of information without providing any context or analysis of his credibility.

Bias (85%)

• The article uses language that dehumanizes the people affected by the storm
• The author uses political bias when he says 'California: this is a serious storm with dangerous and potentially life-threatening impacts'
• There are several instances where the article uses language that demonizes those who do not take action to protect themselves from the storm

Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)

None Found At Time Of Publication

Author Conflicts Of Interest (50%)