Bomb Cyclone Revives Yosemite Falls

The surge of rain restored one of California's natural landmarks.

The surge of rain restored one of California’s natural landmarks.

Over the last few days, the Californian coast has been inundated with rain from a bomb cyclone, a kind of rainstorm that intensifies at an extremely rapid pace. At its peak, the storm brought powerful winds and rainfall rarely seen in the area, leading to floods and landslides. However, while the damage caused by the storm was extensive, there seem to have been some net positives. For instance, the rain brought some much needed moisture to the areas of California suffering from severe drought, including Yosemite National Park.

Yosemite Falls in Yosemite National Park typically dries up for the year by late summer, early fall in an indication of the severe drought conditions that have been plaguing the area as climate change worsens. Thanks to the over six-inches of rain that the park received from the bomb cyclone, though, the 2,425-foot falls began flowing again in an impressive natural display.

According to local climate researchers, while the rain from the bomb cyclone won’t solve California’s drought permanently, it has been a boon to the dried land, especially in the midst of wildfire season.

“Overall it appears that this event was, on a statewide basis, more beneficial than harmful despite its extremity,” University of California Los Angeles climate scientist Daniel Swain wrote on Twitter.