Top Story

Quick Reads

Visual Portfolio, Posts & Image Gallery for WordPress

Heading to the Santa Monica Pier. Photo: Maylin Kim.

Bittersweet Beach Outing to See King Tide

Author Maylin Tu By Maylin Tu
On a clear morning in January, a group of tide worshippers gathered at the Santa Monica Pier to "celebrate the ocean and build our climate community,” said Laurene von Klan.

A 2022 king tide pushed groundwater up through this San Leandro drain. Photo: Kristina Hill.

New Maps Reveal Bay Area Flood Threat From Below

Author Meg Duff By Meg Duff
As Bay Area residents kayaked through flooded streets and bailed out buildings during California’s recent storms, they faced not only bursting creeks and pouring rain but also rising groundwater.

Downtown Montecito, during 2019 storm events similar to those the Bay Area is experiencing this year. The adjacent Russian River is one of the most flood-prone rivers in California. Photo: Jak Wonderly.

In Atlas of Disaster, No One is Safe

Author John Hart By John Hart
According to the Atlas of Disaster, 90% of U.S. counties have had an extreme weather event in the last ten years, and California had more disasters than any other state...

Satellite photo of a bomb cyclone over the West Coast captured on January 4, 2023. Photo: NASA.

What Exactly is a Bomb Cyclone Anyway?

Author Robin Meadows By Robin Meadows
It’s hard for me to imagine a scarier name for weather than bomb cyclone — the kind of California experienced on January 4, 2023 — and in the days leading...

A San Francisco bus, one of the city’s bio-diesel fleet. Photo: Ariel Rubissow Okamoto.

San Francisco’s Subtle Greenwashing

Author Dave Rhody By Dave Rhody
San Francisco is increasingly seen as a "green" city but its track record doesn't hold up under scrutiny.

In-Deep

Visual Portfolio, Posts & Image Gallery for WordPress

Artist Siena Lopez was "very inspired by solar punk" for this climate castle.

The Case for Climate Castles

As climate change throws more extreme events at us, isn't it time to think bigger, bolder, further ahead? Six young architects draw climate-resilient castles.

Clearing defensible space around a fire rebuild in Calistoga. Photo: Andrew Gansa.

Future-Proof Homes?

Oona Khan dreams about her home of the future, after losing her Malibu retreat to fire. Caught in a quagmire of legal battles with Southern California Edison, and surging construction...

9-1-KDT HOOVER Elementary-6_2

Safer at School from Wildfire Smoke?

Author Katie Rodriguez By Katie Rodriguez
Research confirms the drastic impacts wildfire smoke has had on school learning. But 16 East Bay schools now have updated air filters and more actions are in the pipeline statewide.

combo4-01_1

Extremes-in-3D

Author KDT Staff By KDT Staff
In Part 1 FIRE, KneeDeep explores where to expect debris flows from burn scars, how one neighborhood became fire wise, and what schools are doing to become safe havens.

Quick Reads

In Atlas of Disaster, No One is Safe

According to the Atlas of Disaster, 90% of U.S. counties have had an extreme weather event in the last ten years, and California had more disasters than any other state between 2011 and 2021. The report also offers a cost-effective path forward.

Read More

What Exactly is a Bomb Cyclone Anyway?

It’s hard for me to imagine a scarier name for weather than bomb cyclone — the kind of California experienced on January 4, 2023 — and in the days leading up to the storm, the media frenzy amped up my fears even more. Next, PG&E and my internet provider warned me of service outages. Then, Governor Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency.

Read More
Loading

In-Depth

Future-Proof Homes?

Oona Khan dreams about her home of the future, after losing her Malibu retreat to fire. Caught in a quagmire of legal battles with Southern California Edison, and surging construction costs, Khan is still waiting to start construction.

Read More

Extremes-in-3D

In Part 1 FIRE, KneeDeep explores where to expect debris flows from burn scars, how one neighborhood became fire wise, and what schools are doing to become safe havens.

Read More
Loading

Picture of the Month

Visual Portfolio, Posts & Image Gallery for WordPress
February 2023 Snow on Atlas Peak Road in Napa County during the late February cold snap, complete with thunder, lightning, sleet, hail, snowfall, not to mention felled trees and broken limbs such as the oak pictured above. Numerous alerts from Napa County OES overnight urged residents to either avoid a road that was “blocked and impassable” or to “stay in place due to inclement weather.” Photo: Peter Rubissow

February 2023

Snow on Atlas Peak Road in Napa County during the late February cold snap, complete with thunder, lightning, sleet, hail, snowfall, not to mention felled trees and broken limbs such as the oak pictured above. Numerous alerts from Napa County OES overnight urged residents to either avoid a road that was “blocked and impassable” or to “stay in place due to inclement weather.” Photo: Peter Rubissow