Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, has introduced legislation to help ensure electrical utilities are pursuing the fastest and most cost-effective infrastructure improvements, safeguarding the public from future wildfires and saving money for ratepayers forced to cover the cost of more expensive repairs.
“As utilities make upgrades to their systems to keep us safe from wildfire, we must ensure they identify projects that have the biggest impact and can be completed in the shortest amount of time for the least amount of money,” Sen. Dodd said. “In other words, utilities need to get the biggest bang for the buck when they do projects. That way, we protect our communities from wildfires sooner and avoid unwarranted rate increases as we’re forced to absorb the cost of these improvements.”
Recently, the California Public Utilities Commission approved a $13.5 billion rate increase requested by PG&E to pay for the undergrounding of 1,230 miles of electric utility lines over the next three years.
This is a fraction of the more than 10,000 miles of undergrounding PG&E proposes for the next decade in hopes of reducing the risk of its utility infrastructure sparking wildfires. The cost per mile is estimated at $3 million.
However, there are alternatives such as insulating existing utility cable, an option favored by The Utility Reform Network, or TURN.
Insulating wires costs an estimated $800,000 per mile, and in certain circumstances may be as effective in preventing wildfire ignitions as undergrounding, and achievable in far less time.
“Undergrounding lines in high risk areas is important and needs to continue in a targeted manner, but we also need to advance faster, cheaper methods to maximize safety today,” said Sen. Dodd. “It’s all about maximizing benefit, while minimizing ratepayer costs.”
Sen. Dodd’s Senate Bill 1003 would direct the Office of Electrical Infrastructure Safety to consider the timeliness of investor-owned utility electrical infrastructure upgrades when reviewing the utilities’ wildfire mitigation plans to ensure that the maximum amount of risk from utility sparked wildfires is reduced in the shortest amount of time.
“Safety today is not the same as safety in three or 10 years,” said Michael Wara, director of climate and energy policy at Stanford University. “This bill will force the utilities to account for the long implementation delays of some strategies as an additional cost to their customers. Delivery of adequate service today — including the ‘service’ of safety — is an important value that all Californians deserve from their electric utilities. This bill will compel utilities to evaluate not just how safe a system they can create in the long run, but will push them to do it as quickly as possible.”
Dodd represents the Third Senate District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Yolo, Sonoma, Solano, Sacramento and Contra Costa counties.
On Wednesday, the House of Representatives voted to pass H.R. 7024, the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024.
The bill includes Rep. Mike Thompson’s legislation with Rep. Doug LaMalfa (CA-01) to make PG&E Fire Victims Trust settlements nontaxable.
“Today’s strong bipartisan vote to provide essential tax relief to fire survivors is an important step towards recovery for those who lost homes, businesses, and loved ones in disastrous wildfires,” Thompson said Wednesday. “The Senate must swiftly consider and pass this bill so that our fire survivors receive the tax relief they desperately need.”
“Fire survivors have waited too long for certainty regarding the settlement with PG&E,” said LaMalfa. “To have to pay a huge portion to the government because the IRS deemed disaster aid as income adds insult to injury, especially paying the income tax on the lawyers’ fees. My staff and I have worked diligently on this initiative for many months to finally see it come to fruition. I thank Ways and Means Chairman Smith for negotiating this deal, and Speaker Johnson for getting it to the House Floor for a vote expeditiously. The Senate needs to act quickly as the new tax period will be upon us soon.”
“We are grateful for the leadership of Rep. Mike Thompson in spearheading tax justice for fire victims. Rep. Thompson has been a fierce supporter of fire victims since our devastating megafire disaster in October of 2017. Rep. Thompson's ability to work across the aisle with Rep. LaMalfa to get this over the line in the House is a testament to the critical importance to thousands of families," said Jennifer Gray Thompson, founder and CEO of After the Fire USA.
She added, “This bill is the most important legislation ever passed for fire victims, affecting hundreds of thousands of disaster survivors and correcting a grave error in the tax code. Rep. Thompson's commitment to fire victims and bipartisanship on this issue is deeply appreciated by megafire victims at home and across the country. After the Fire USA is proud to work with Rep. Thompson in service to fire victims everywhere."
The bill now goes to the Senate for a vote before going to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature.
Thompson represents California’s Fourth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — California’s snowpack is improving thanks to recent storms, but still below the seasonal average.
The Department of Water Resources on Tuesday conducted the second snow survey of the season at Phillips Station.
The manual survey recorded 29 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 10 inches, which is 58% of average for this location.
The snow water equivalent measures the amount of water contained in the snowpack and is a key component of DWR’s water supply forecast.
Tuesday’s results reflect a modest increase in the snowpack since Jan. 1, but overall conditions are still far below normal.
DWR’s electronic readings from 130 stations placed throughout the state indicate that the statewide snowpack’s snow water equivalent is 8.4 inches, or 52% of average for this date, an improvement from just 28% of average on Jan. 1. One year ago, the snowpack statewide was 214% of average on Feb. 1.
“This year’s El Niño has delivered below average precipitation and an even smaller snowpack,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “Californians must prepare for all possible conditions during the remaining months of the rainy season.”
Despite additional precipitation in January, many storms so far this year have been warmer than average, producing rain rather than snow at higher elevations.
Overall statewide precipitation is 82% of average for this date. Last year’s snowpack was aided by both above average precipitation and below average temperatures, which created a historic snowpack and improved reservoir storage statewide, which is still above average. Lake Oroville, the State Water Project’s largest reservoir, is currently 76% of average.
“Despite strong El Niño conditions in the Pacific Ocean, a high-pressure system and several other climate factors have led to below average conditions so far and most storm impacts have been focused along the coastal regions,” said Dr. Michael Anderson, state Climatologist with the Department of Water Resources. “Many of these storms have also been warmer than average and produced more rain and less snow, a far cry from last year’s near-record snowpack and once again demonstrating how California can swing from one extreme to another.”
Even though this winter has provided below average precipitation overall, it can only take one storm to produce severe flooding in the right circumstances.
Communities in San Diego, the Bay Area and along the North Coast have already experienced flooding impacts this winter, highlighting the need to always be prepared for flood risk.
DWR and the Joint State-Federal Flood Operations Center have been working with communities and emergency response agencies to coordinate flood response and provide training to prepare for flooding.
All Californians should follow three basic steps to plan for possible floods:
Be aware of your risk – know whether your home is downslope of a burn area or in a floodplain; pay attention to weather forecasts; listen to local authorities.
Be prepared – always have an emergency evacuation kit ready; be ready to evacuate early; have a plan for where you will go in an emergency.
Take action – subscribe to your local emergency providers to get updated information. If local authorities issue an evacuation order, do not delay, follow local guidelines for evacuation and never attempt to drive through a flooded roadway.
On average, the Sierra snowpack supplies about 30 percent of California’s water needs. Its natural ability to store water is why the Sierra snowpack is often referred to as California's “frozen reservoir.”
Data from these snow surveys and forecasts produced by DWR’s Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit are important factors in determining how DWR manages the state’s water resources.
Millions of people were under flood alerts and winter storm warnings on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, 2024, as a series of atmospheric rivers brought heavy downpours and the threat of flooding, mudslides and avalanches to the Pacific Northwest and California. Another powerful storm was expected a few days later.
While these storms are dreaded for the damage they can cause, they are also essential to the region’s water supply, particularly in California, as Qian Cao, a hydrologist at the University of California, San Diego, explains.
What are atmospheric rivers?
An atmospheric river is a narrow corridor or filament of concentrated water vapor transported in the atmosphere. It’s like a river in the sky that can be 1,000 miles long. On average, atmospheric rivers have about twice the regular flow of the Amazon River.
When atmospheric rivers run up against mountains or run into local atmospheric dynamics and are forced to ascend, the moisture they carry cools and condenses, so they can produce intense rainfall or snowfall.
Atmospheric rivers occur all over the world, most commonly in the mid-latitudes. They form when large-scale weather patterns align to create narrow channels, or filaments, of intense moisture transport. These start over warm water, typically tropical oceans, and are guided toward the coast by low-level jet streams ahead of cold fronts of extratropical cyclones.
Along the U.S. West Coast, the Pacific Ocean serves as the reservoir of moisture for the storm, and the mountain ranges act as barriers, which is why the western sides of the coastal ranges and Sierra Nevada see so much rain and snow.
Why are back-to-back atmospheric rivers a high flood risk?
The first heavy downpours saturate the ground. As consecutive storms arrive, their precipitation falls on soil that can’t absorb more water. That contributes to more runoff. Rivers and streams fill up. In the meantime, there may be snowmelt due to warm temperatures, further adding to the runoff and flood risk.
California experienced a historic run of nine consecutive atmospheric rivers in the span of three weeks in December 2022 and January 2023. The storms helped bring most reservoirs back to historical averages in 2023 after several drought years, but they also produced damaging floods and debris flows.
The cause of AR families is an active area of research. Compared with single atmospheric river events, AR families tend to be associated with lower atmospheric pressure heights across the North Pacific, higher pressure heights over the subtropics, a stronger and more zonally elongated jet stream and warmer tropical air temperatures.
Large-scale weather patterns and climate phenomena such as the Madden-Julian Oscillation, or MJO, also play an important role in the generation of AR families. An active MJO shift occurred during the early 2023 events, tilting the odds toward increased atmospheric river activity over California.
A recent study by scientists at Stanford and the University of Florida found that storms within AR families cause three to four times more economic damage when the storms arrive back to back than they would have caused by themselves.
How important are atmospheric rivers to the West Coast’s water supply?
I’m a research hydrologist, so I focus on hydrological impacts of atmospheric rivers. Although they can lead to flood hazards, atmospheric rivers are also essential to the Western water supply. Atmospheric rivers have been responsible for ending more than a third of the region’s major droughts, including the severe California drought of 2012-16.
They also contribute to the snowpack, which provides a significant portion of California’s year-round water supply.
In an average year, one to two extreme atmospheric rivers with snow will be the dominant contributors to the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada. Together, atmospheric rivers will contribute about 30% to 40% of an average season’s total snow accumulation there.
That’s why my colleagues at the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, part of the University of California, San Diego, work on improving atmospheric river forecasts and predictions. Water managers need to be able to regulate reservoirs and figure out how much water they can save for the dry season while still leaving room in the reservoirs to manage flood risk from future storms.
How is global warming affecting atmospheric rivers?
My research also shows that more atmospheric rivers are likely to occur concurrently during already wet conditions. So, the chance of extreme flooding also increases. Another study, by scientists from the University of Washington, suggests that there will be a seasonal shift to more atmospheric rivers earlier in the rainy season.
There will likely also be more year-to-year variability in the total annual precipitation, particularly in California, as a study by my colleagues at the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes projects.
This article was update Jan. 31, 2024, with flood alerts and winter storm warnings posted.
The Assembly has approved a bill establishing the Tribal Cogovernance and Comanagement of Ancestral Lands and Waters Act to encourage the state to create agreements with tribes to share responsibility and partnership in resource management conservation within a tribe’s lands and waters.
Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-San Bernardino) introduced the measure, AB 1284, which will now head to the Senate.
“Under current law the California Natural Resource Agency is not required to work with tribal communities even though the state’s First People have managed the land and its resources for centuries,” Ramos said. “Tribes are committed to the health and safety of delicate ecosystems and a tradition of responsibility and stewardship.”
AB 1284 would permit and encourage the Natural Resource Agency to engage in government-to-government negotiations with federally recognized tribal communities to advance state goals regarding natural resource management.
In 2011, Gov. Jerry Brown signed Executive Order B-10-11 which reaffirmed California’s recognition of tribal communities as sovereigns of their own territory and people and as citizens of the state.
It also committed the state to foster and sustain government-to-government relationships with tribal communities to address areas of mutual concern and to have meaningful consultations.
“True co-governance and management is shared decision-making from the very start. It is time for tribes and the Resources Agency to be real partners in combating climate change and protecting biodiversity and our natural and cultural resources. It is time to return the management of tribal ancestral lands and waters to California’s first peoples. AB 1284 is our way forward,” said Resighini Rancheria Tribal Chairperson Fawn C. Murphy in a letter expressing support for the proposal.
AB 1284 is sponsored by Resighini Rancheria and Tolowa Dee-Ni’ Nation. It is also supported by the Natural California Tribal Chairpersons Association, Jamui Indian Village of California, Elk Valley Rancheria, Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria, Ocean Conservancy, the California State Parks Association and Pew Charitable Trusts.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — The California Department of Fish and Wildlife reported late Monday that it has named two new wolf packs that were confirmed in the state last summer.
The newly named wolf families are the Beyem Seyo pack in Plumas County and the Harvey pack in Lassen County.
Another of 2023’s newly discovered packs, the Yowlumni pack, ranges in Tulare County and was named in December.
“These awe-inspiring animals continue to show us that California’s wild landscapes are great habitat for wolves and that they’ll find their way here,” said Amaroq Weiss, a senior wolf advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Wolves belong in our state, and we should do everything we can to ensure they thrive.”
The department’s quarterly report covered known wolf information from August through October 2023. It reported that the state has five wolf packs plus several groups of wolves, including new individuals and groups in four northeastern California counties.
The new report noted the continued existence of the Lassen pack in Lassen County, the Whaleback pack in Siskiyou County and a group of two or three wolves in Tehama County. Another group of three wolves was documented ranging in Sierra and Nevada counties, and individual wolves have been sighted in Modoc County. A previously known wolf family in Plumas County, the Beckwourth pack, is thought to no longer exist.
Based on the department’s count, California is currently home to around 45 wolves including adults, yearlings and pups of the year.
The Beyem Seyo pack has at least two adults and six pups; the Harvey pack has at least two adults and one pup; the Lassen pack has a minimum two adults, five yearlings, and three pups; the Whaleback pack is composed of at least two adults, one yearling, and eight pups; the Yowlumni pack consists of two adults and six pups; and the two unnamed groups of wolves include a group of two to three wolves in Tehama County and a group of three wolves in Sierra and Nevada counties.
“I feel so fortunate to bear witness to the return of these top-level carnivores to California,” said Weiss. “Not only are wolves essential to healthy, wild nature, they also have for thousands of years been integral to the human spirit and imagination and a symbol of our connection to the wild.”
The first wolf in nearly a century to make California part of his range was OR-7, a radio-collared wolf from Oregon that entered California in late 2011. OR-7 traveled across seven northeastern counties in California before returning to southwestern Oregon, where he found a mate and settled down, forming the Rogue pack.
Several of OR-7’s offspring have since come to California and established packs. Those include the original breeding male of the Lassen pack and the breeding female of the Yowlumne pack residing in Tulare County. The Shasta pack, California’s first confirmed wolf pack in nearly 100 years, was discovered in 2015 but disappeared a few months later.
The gray wolf (Canis lupus) is native to California but was driven to extinction in the state by the mid-1920s. After OR-7 left Oregon for California, the Center and allies successfully petitioned the state to fully protect wolves under California’s endangered species act. Wolves are also federally protected in California under the federal Endangered Species Act. It is illegal to intentionally kill any wolves in the state.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — The second annual Lake County Restaurant Expo brought together members of the local restaurant industry for a day of training and networking.
The expo took place on Monday at the Lake County Campus of Woodland Community College, known for its acclaimed Culinary Arts Program headed up by Chef Robert Cabreros.
The event was organized by the Lake County Economic Development Corp., or Lake EDC, with the assistance of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce.
The Restaurant Expo is a one-day training and networking event focused on providing expert support to new and existing owners of restaurants, food trucks, catering companies, and other food industry businesses.
They heard from industry experts, participated in sessions on aspects of the business, and ended the day with a mixer.
In the video above, hear from organizer Nicole Flora of Lake EDC about the motivation for the event, and from Cabreros and student participants in the expo.
The expo took place ahead of the second annual Lake County Restaurant Week, which will span the week of Feb. 4 to 10.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — The Clearlake City Council will consider whether to end virtual public input at city meetings due to concerns about inappropriate comments.
The council will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
On Thursday, the council will have a discussion with staff about the possibility of discontinuing virtual public comments at city meetings, a measure which was instituted in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
City Manager Alan Flora’s report said the emergency orders that allowed these measures were rolled back and virtual participation by City Council, commission members and others is no longer allowed, “except under very specific circumstances.”
Flora continued, “Many jurisdictions, including Clearlake, have continued the use of Zoom to allow more flexibility for public comment. Beginning largely in the fall of 2023 many jurisdictions eliminated a virtual option for public input due to the rise in inappropriate and racist comments at public meetings.”
At its Jan. 18 meeting, the council experienced the same when three individuals gave public comment through Zoom — with their cameras off and, it’s believed, under assumed names — that were antisemitic and racist, and had nothing to do with city business items on the agenda.
“Staff would like to discuss the discontinuation of allowing public comment on City business virtually. Staff recommend the Council continue to allow the use of Zoom for City consultants and contractors as appropriate,” Flora wrote.
Also on Thursday, the council will offer a proclamation declaring February 2024 as Black History Month and a presentation of the Clearlake Police Department's Annual Report.
Under other items of business, the council will consider authorizing a $20,000 amendment to the purchase contract with National Food Equipment for installation of a freezer as part of the Senior Center Kitchen Remodel Project.
On the meeting's consent agenda — items that are considered routine in nature and usually adopted on a single vote — are warrants, authorization of an amendment of contract with ProEx Construction for the Senior Center Kitchen Remodel Project in the amount of $20,000, and adoption of a resolution and approval of Mayor David Claffey's appointments of Vice Mayor Joyce Overton and Councilmember Russell Perdock as members.
The council also will hold a closed session following the public portion of the meeting to discuss property negotiations for 14775 Burns Valley Road and a case of anticipated litigation.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — The Clearlake City Council will hold a special meeting this week to discuss a local tribe’s appeal of a newly approved subdivision project.
The council will meet at 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
Comments and questions can be submitted in writing for City Council consideration by sending them to City Clerk Melissa Swanson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
To give the council adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit your written comments before 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1.
The only item on the agenda for the special meeting, which will be followed at 6 p.m. by the regular meeting, is the consideration of an appeal filed by the Koi Nation of Northern California regarding the Clearlake Planning Commission’s approval on Dec. 18 of a subdivision, tentative map and environmental analysis for a development at 2890 Old Highway 53.
It’s the latest in a series of appeals and actions the tribe — now working to get approval for a casino project in Windsor, in neighboring Sonoma County — has taken against projects in the city, including a project to extend 18th Avenue and the city’s Burns Valley sports complex project.
The subdivision is proposed by Danco Subdivision Development, which built another project near the sports complex area which was not challenged by the tribe.
The staff report explains, “The Danco Subdivision Development is a market-rate residential development that has been designed to be compatible with the rural character of its surrounding neighborhood. The project consists of subdividing a 30-acre parcel into 22 lots. The parcels will range in size from 1.25 to 2.75 acres.”
City staff is urging the council to deny the appeal.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The atmospheric river that hit Lake County on Wednesday dropped heavy rain on the area.
The majority of the rainfall, coupled with wind, hit later in the day and earlier in the evening.
Although the rainfall was less than predicted, it was still substantial, amounting to several inches in parts of the county.
National Weather Service observations points recorded the following data:
— Indian Valley Reservoir: 1.51. — Kelseyville: 2.35. — Lake Pillsbury: 1.88. — Lower Lake: 3.03. — Lyons Valley: 1.90. — Whispering Pines: 2.68.
A flood watch and a flood warning issued for Lake County have ended.
More rain is expected on Thursday and Friday, and into the middle of next week, according to the National Weather Service.
The next round of storms appear to be far lighter for Lake County.
Thunderstorms are possible on Thursday during the day and at night, the National Weather Service said.
Temperatures are set to rise into the low 50s during the day and drop into the high 30s at night over the next week.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
California is mobilizing a whole-of-government response to a series of potentially dangerous incoming storms in order to keep communities safe.
Beginning Tuesday evening, a series of storms began to hit the state and will continue for the next 10 days.
Forecasters said to expect significant rain, high winds, deep snow as well as potential flash flooding and power outages.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency reported that it is monitoring two atmospheric river storms heading towards the West Coast and is urging Californians to pay attention to the evolving forecast, listen to instructions from local authorities and evacuate immediately if told to do so.
Lake County is under a wind advisory on Wednesday and a flood watch on both Wednesday and Thursday.
At the direction of Gov. Gavin Newsom, the State Operations Center in Mather is being activated to coordinate a unified response to these storms across state, local and federal agencies.
The governor has also directed the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, or Cal OES, to lead an early, proactive push to preposition state personnel and equipment into the communities most at risk of damage before the worst of the storms arrive.
The state is also taking action to prepare for potential flooding by activating the Flood Operations Center for increased coordination and utilizing California’s spillways where necessary.
The National Weather Service said a significant series of weather systems will impact the state starting this week, bringing with them moderate to heavy rainfall, accumulating mountain snow and gusty winds of 60 to 70 miles per hour.
Precipitation will begin across far Northern California on Tuesday, spreading into the rest of the state Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
This weather pattern will continue in the next few weeks, with above normal precipitation likely statewide, especially across Southern California.
“The state is working around the clock with our local partners to deploy life-saving equipment and resources statewide. With more storms on the horizon, we’ll continue to mobilize every available resource to protect Californians.”
The state is utilizing significant staffing and equipment resource investments made by the Governor in recent years to bolster emergency response capacity.
Among the agencies who are actively working on storm response efforts are: Cal OES, the Department of Water Resources, California Department of Transportation, the California Highway Patrol, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, California Conservation Corps, California Department of Social Services and the California National Guard.
Five things you can do to stay safer
Stay connected. Californians are reminded to dial 311 to get help or ask questions. If you have a critical emergency, call 911. Stay informed by signing up for emergency alerts including warnings and evacuation notices. Go to CalAlerts.org to sign up to receive alerts from your county officials. Check in with loved ones and neighbors.
Get your information from trusted sources. During a disaster, it's critical to have accurate information. Check state and local government or emergency management websites and social media accounts for trusted information specific to your area. Local news outlets and meteorologists are also a good source of information. Be wary of posts from unknown sources on social platforms or from online ‘experts’ without credentials.
Prepare for high winds. Before a high wind event: remove any dead trees or overhanging branches near structures, remove loose roofing material, bring in unsecured objects from patios and balconies, secure outdoor objects that could blow away, shutter windows securely and brace outside doors. During a high wind event: take cover next to a building or under shelter, stay away from windows, stay clear of roadways and train tracks, avoid elevated areas such as roofs, watch for flying debris.
Travel safely. Avoid non-essential travel during the peak of the storm expected Sunday and Monday. If you must drive, download the QuickMap app or visit QuickMap (ca.gov) to learn up-to-the-minute information on road conditions, traffic, closures, and more. Do not walk, swim or drive through flood waters. Turn Around, Don’t Drown! Remember, just six inches of moving water can knock you down, and one foot of moving water can sweep your vehicle away.
Be ready in case of power outages. Take inventory of the items you need that rely on electricity. Keep your devices charged. Plan for batteries and other alternative power sources to meet your needs if the power goes out such as a portable charger or power bank. Have flashlights for every household member. Also, plan accordingly for the potential of water outages.
Storm Season Safety Guide: the state is sharing multilingual resources, deploying a network of community-based organizations through the Listos California campaign, and highlighting other work underway to protect at-risk communities this rainy season.
Prepare yourself through texts: Californians can sign up for a 5-lesson text message course through Listos California on what to do before, during and after floods, high winds, debris flows and other storm impacts. This course is available in English, Spanish, Hmong and Punjabi. Text “CAWINTER” to 20202 via SMS to sign up.
Visit the National Weather Service for current weather patterns in your area.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The U.S. Census Bureau has released new data that sheds light on the numbers of those in poverty as part of National Poverty in America Awareness Month.
Nationwide, the Census Bureau said the official poverty rate in 2022 was 11.5%, with 37.9 million people in poverty.
Neither the rate nor the number in poverty was significantly different from 2021, the Census Bureau reported.
The official poverty rate for Black individuals decreased between 2021 and 2022. The 2022 rate was the lowest on record.
In Lake County, the U.S. Census estimated there were 66,685 residents in 2022.
Lake County’s poverty rate in 2022 was 16.8% — with a deviation of plus or minus 4.2% — accounting for 11,175 residents.
Previous years’ poverty rates, based on the American Community Survey’s one year estimates — except for 2020, for which only a five-year estimate was available — are as follows:
In related data, the Census Bureau said that, nationwide, the Supplemental Poverty Measure, or SPM, rate in 2022 was 12.4%, an increase of 4.6 percentage points from 2021. This accounts for the first increase in the overall SPM poverty rate since 2010.
In 2022, the SPM child poverty rate more than doubled, from 5.2% in 2021 to 12.4% in 2022.
The Census Bureau said that in 2022, Social Security continued to be the most important antipoverty program, moving 28.9 million people out of SPM poverty.
Refundable tax credits moved 6.4 million people out of SPM poverty, down from 9.6 million people in 2021.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.