Fierce floods or wild waves? How San Diego is preparing for a winter of extreme weather under El Niño.

San Diego is bracing for a super El Niño this winter, but the outcome remains uncertain. According to CalMatters, the weather pattern could unleash the kind of devastating floods the city experienced in the early nineteen eighties and late nineties, or it could bring drought and heightened fire risk instead—as happened in twenty sixteen. Adding to the challenge: San Diego has aging stormwater systems and century-old dams rated for significant failure risk. City officials are mobilizing repairs, but the city needs an estimated three billion dollars in improvements over the coming decades.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton