It was the winter of 1861-1862 and a historic megaflood transformed the San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys into a "temporary but vast inland sea," according to the study.

State officials have released a third batch of maps showing fire hazards in California's Bay Area and the state's northern region.

A recent executive order by California Gov. Gavin Newsom aims to ramp up fire safety in urban areas as new maps released by the state show more than 1 million acres are at a higher risk of wildfires.

He put Southern California’s dryness into perspective using charts and maps. How Dry Is Southern California Right Now?

California's Line Fire grows to 26,000 acres, more evacuations underway: See wildfire map "It’s critical that residents in the impacted areas remain vigilant and prepare to evacuate immediately ...

Map: A look at recent wildfires burning in Northern California in 2024 TOPSHOT - Law enforcement members watch as the Thompson fire burns over Lake Oroville in Oroville, California on July 2, 2024.

A megaflood would unleash cascading disasters and economic catastrophe across the state, costing more than $725 billion and disrupting lifelines for days or weeks, the authors reported in 2011.

Winter storms, and particularly strong consecutive ones, are a normal thing in California, but officials and scientists are advising residents that there is no impending megaflood like the one ...