window.__IS_SSR__=true
window.__INITIAL_STATE__={
"attachmentsReducer": {
"audio_0": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_0",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background0.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_1": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_1",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background1.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_2": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_2",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background2.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_3": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_3",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background3.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_4": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_4",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background4.jpg"
}
}
},
"placeholder": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "placeholder",
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 512,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-lrg": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-med": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xxsmall": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xsmall": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"small": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xlarge": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 32,
"height": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-50": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 50,
"height": 50,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 64,
"height": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 96,
"height": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 128,
"height": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
}
},
"news_11957165": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11957165",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11957165",
"found": true
},
"parent": 0,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67586_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-53-BL-KQED-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67586_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-53-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67586_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-53-BL-KQED-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67586_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-53-BL-KQED.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67586_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-53-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 680
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67586_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-53-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1024
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67586_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-53-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1280
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67586_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-53-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 533
}
},
"publishDate": 1690993097,
"modified": 1691091614,
"caption": "A foundation for a home can be seen in the Fountaingrove area of Santa Rosa on July 28, 2023. Fountaingrove was hit hard by the Tubbs Fire in October 2017. In the single-family home market, large carriers, including Allstate, State Farm, Farmers and AIG, cited economic conditions and the increasing frequency and severity of weather events such as floods and wildfires as reasons for declining to sell new policies in the state.",
"description": null,
"title": "RS67586_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-53-BL-KQED",
"credit": "Beth LaBerge/KQED",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "A hillside with the exposed foundations of several destroyed homes and a handful of newly built houses.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_11953851": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11953851",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11953851",
"found": true
},
"parent": 0,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66528_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-55-BL-KQED-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66528_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-55-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66528_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-55-BL-KQED-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66528_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-55-BL-KQED.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66528_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-55-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 680
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66528_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-55-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1024
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66528_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-55-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1280
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66528_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-55-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 533
}
},
"publishDate": 1687537810,
"modified": 1688696809,
"caption": "José Federico Sierra herds pregnant cows toward a trailer at the farm where he works in Gustine, on June 21, 2023.",
"description": null,
"title": "RS66528_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-55-BL-KQED",
"credit": "Beth LaBerge/KQED",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "A man in a red hat with arms outstretched stands among rows of cows in pens seemingly ushering them forward towards the camera.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_11951934": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11951934",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11951934",
"found": true
},
"parent": 11951923,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/AP23152014505846-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/AP23152014505846-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/AP23152014505846-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/AP23152014505846-scaled.jpg",
"width": 2560,
"height": 1707
},
"2048x2048": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/AP23152014505846-2048x1365.jpg",
"width": 2048,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1365
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/AP23152014505846-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 680
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/AP23152014505846-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1024
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/AP23152014505846-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1280
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/AP23152014505846-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 533
}
},
"publishDate": 1685644219,
"modified": 1685658794,
"caption": "A house burns on Platina Road during the Zogg Fire near Ono on Sept. 27, 2020. ",
"description": null,
"title": "California Wildfire Utility",
"credit": "Ethan Swope/The Associated Press",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "In a nighttime photo lit dramatically by orange flames, a single-story home burns brightly, with the photo taken from the end of a driveway or yard.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_11949235": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11949235",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11949235",
"found": true
},
"parent": 11948668,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/Fanny_sized-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/Fanny_sized-160x120.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 120
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/Fanny_sized-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/Fanny_sized.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1440
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/Fanny_sized-1020x765.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 765
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/Fanny_sized-1536x1152.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1152
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/Fanny_sized-800x600.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 600
}
},
"publishDate": 1683848125,
"modified": 1683848206,
"caption": "Fanny bassist Jean Millington and lead guitarist June Millington.",
"description": null,
"title": "Fanny_sized",
"credit": "Courtesy Bobbi Jo Hart",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "Two Filipina-American women in their late sixties rock out on bass and guitar in a recording studio, smiles on their faces.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_11949151": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11949151",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11949151",
"found": true
},
"parent": 11949138,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/019_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/019_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/019_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/019_KQED_Allensworth_05042023.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/019_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 680
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/019_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1024
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/019_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 533
}
},
"publishDate": 1683835675,
"modified": 1683851453,
"caption": "The Tulare County Free Library building in the Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park in Allensworth, on May 4, 2023.",
"description": null,
"title": "019_KQED_Allensworth_05042023",
"credit": "Beth LaBerge/KQED",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "An old, white building that houses a historic library sits in the midle of a field of yellow flowers. Large trees surround the structure.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_11948076": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11948076",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11948076",
"found": true
},
"parent": 11948072,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/AIDS_LifeCycle-1038x576.png",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/AIDS_LifeCycle-160x90.png",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 90
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/AIDS_LifeCycle-672x372.png",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/AIDS_LifeCycle.png",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1080
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/AIDS_LifeCycle-1020x574.png",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 574
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/AIDS_LifeCycle-1536x864.png",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 864
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/AIDS_LifeCycle-800x450.png",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 450
}
},
"publishDate": 1682719914,
"modified": 1682719914,
"caption": null,
"description": null,
"title": "AIDS_LifeCycle",
"credit": null,
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": null,
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_11946959": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11946959",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11946959",
"found": true
},
"parent": 11946922,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.25.50-PM-1038x576.png",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.25.50-PM-160x104.png",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 104
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.25.50-PM-672x372.png",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.25.50-PM.png",
"width": 2366,
"height": 1534
},
"2048x2048": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.25.50-PM-2048x1328.png",
"width": 2048,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 1328
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.25.50-PM-1020x661.png",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 661
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.25.50-PM-1536x996.png",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 996
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.25.50-PM-1920x1245.png",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 1245
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.25.50-PM-800x519.png",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 519
}
},
"publishDate": 1681760325,
"modified": 1681774775,
"caption": "Joseph Goni, owner of Lerda-Goni Farms, looks at his flooded heifer pen on his farm on March 23, 2023.",
"description": null,
"title": "Screenshot 2023-04-17 at 12.25.50 PM",
"credit": "Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters/CatchLight Local",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "A white man wearing a white and red hat and red shirt leans against a railing overlooking water.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_11945153": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11945153",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11945153",
"found": true
},
"parent": 0,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/032423-STOCKTON-LEVEES-MHN-09-CM-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/032423-STOCKTON-LEVEES-MHN-09-CM-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/032423-STOCKTON-LEVEES-MHN-09-CM-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/032423-STOCKTON-LEVEES-MHN-09-CM.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/032423-STOCKTON-LEVEES-MHN-09-CM-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 680
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/032423-STOCKTON-LEVEES-MHN-09-CM-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1024
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/032423-STOCKTON-LEVEES-MHN-09-CM-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1280
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/032423-STOCKTON-LEVEES-MHN-09-CM-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 533
}
},
"publishDate": 1680133686,
"modified": 1680201282,
"caption": "Walker Slough and the East San Joaquin River levee in Stockton on March 25, 2023. These lower-income neighborhoods could flood as water backs up from the San Joaquin River.",
"description": null,
"title": "032423-STOCKTON-LEVEES-MHN-09-CM",
"credit": "Martin do Nascimento/CalMatters",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "A brown river snakes alongside a town that is seen in the near distance. A red building stands out among green fields and tall, lush trees.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_11945073": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11945073",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11945073",
"found": true
},
"parent": 11944877,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS64017_GettyImages-734164671-qut-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS64017_GettyImages-734164671-qut-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS64017_GettyImages-734164671-qut-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS64017_GettyImages-734164671-qut.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS64017_GettyImages-734164671-qut-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 680
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS64017_GettyImages-734164671-qut-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1024
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS64017_GettyImages-734164671-qut-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 533
}
},
"publishDate": 1680111304,
"modified": 1680117321,
"caption": "If you've lost food because you lost power, you may have options for claiming back those costs.",
"description": null,
"title": "Man holding egg carton by refrigerator in kitchen",
"credit": "Getty Images",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "A person photographed from behind their head, looking in a fridge and holding some eggs in their hands.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_11943343": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11943343",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11943343",
"found": true
},
"parent": 11943316,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/Alfredo_Torres_5-1038x576.jpeg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/Alfredo_Torres_5-160x90.jpeg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 90
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/Alfredo_Torres_5-672x372.jpeg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/Alfredo_Torres_5.jpeg",
"width": 2048,
"height": 1152
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/Alfredo_Torres_5-1020x574.jpeg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 574
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/Alfredo_Torres_5-1536x864.jpeg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 864
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/Alfredo_Torres_5-1920x1080.jpeg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1080
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/Alfredo_Torres_5-800x450.jpeg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 450
}
},
"publishDate": 1678575676,
"modified": 1678889530,
"caption": null,
"description": "A portion of the town of Pajaro that has been completely submerged by floodwaters after a section of the Pajaro River levee was breached early Saturday morning, on March 11, 2023.",
"title": "Alfredo_Torres_5",
"credit": "Courtesy of Alfredo Torres",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "A flooded rural town under brown water with houses and cars from an aerial shot.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_11944099": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11944099",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11944099",
"found": true
},
"parent": 11944098,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/ap23074543190373-b38c74bd289a7fb08077c96ce2938d6bb0634ce1-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/ap23074543190373-b38c74bd289a7fb08077c96ce2938d6bb0634ce1-160x120.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 120
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/ap23074543190373-b38c74bd289a7fb08077c96ce2938d6bb0634ce1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/ap23074543190373-b38c74bd289a7fb08077c96ce2938d6bb0634ce1-scaled.jpg",
"width": 2560,
"height": 1920
},
"2048x2048": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/ap23074543190373-b38c74bd289a7fb08077c96ce2938d6bb0634ce1-2048x1536.jpg",
"width": 2048,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1536
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/ap23074543190373-b38c74bd289a7fb08077c96ce2938d6bb0634ce1-1020x765.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 765
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/ap23074543190373-b38c74bd289a7fb08077c96ce2938d6bb0634ce1-1536x1152.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1152
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/ap23074543190373-b38c74bd289a7fb08077c96ce2938d6bb0634ce1-1920x1440.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1440
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/ap23074543190373-b38c74bd289a7fb08077c96ce2938d6bb0634ce1-800x600.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 600
}
},
"publishDate": 1679335140,
"modified": 1679337896,
"caption": "Men salvage parts from their destroyed home, following heavy rains caused by Cyclone Freddy in Blantyre, southern Malawi, Wednesday, March 15, 2023. From devastating cyclones and floods to an unrelenting drought, African countries are spending between 2% and 9% of their budgets to respond to extreme weather events, according to a report released by the United Nations on Wednesday.",
"description": null,
"title": "Residents in southern Malawi repair a home destroyed by heavy rain from Cyclone Freddy. Climate change is causing cyclones and hurricanes to get more intense and dangerous.",
"credit": "Thoko Chikondi/AP Photo",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "A massive stream of brown water flows rapidly between an embankment as six men work to salvage wood and metal scraps from a recent flood in Africa.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_11943666": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11943666",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11943666",
"found": true
},
"parent": 0,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/CalMatters_01-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/CalMatters_01-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/CalMatters_01-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/CalMatters_01.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/CalMatters_01-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 680
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/CalMatters_01-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1024
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/CalMatters_01-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1280
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/CalMatters_01-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 533
}
},
"publishDate": 1678924556,
"modified": 1678989288,
"caption": "Michelle Hackett at the entrance to Riverview Farms in Salinas, which flooded in the mid-March storms.",
"description": null,
"title": "CalMatters_01",
"credit": "Martin do Nascimento/CalMatters",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "A woman with dark hair, a black jacket, gray blouse and jeans stands in front of a dirt road that leads to a gateway entrance of a farm. She looks concerned as greenhouses can be seen in the background.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
}
},
"audioPlayerReducer": {
"postId": "stream_live",
"isPaused": true,
"isPlaying": false,
"pfsActive": false,
"pledgeModalIsOpen": true,
"playerDrawerIsOpen": false,
"liveAudioPlayStartedAt": 0,
"liveAudioPlayContext": ""
},
"authorsReducer": {
"byline_news_11951923": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_news_11951923",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_news_11951923",
"name": "Ben Christopher and Grace Gedye",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_news_11949138": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_news_11949138",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_news_11949138",
"name": "\u003ca href=\"https://thefern.org/author/teresathefern-org/\">Teresa Cotsirilos\u003c/a>",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_news_11946922": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_news_11946922",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_news_11946922",
"name": "\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/nicole-foy/\">Nicole Foy\u003c/a>",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_news_11945113": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_news_11945113",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_news_11945113",
"name": "\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/alastair-bland/\">Alastair Bland\u003c/a>",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_news_11944098": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_news_11944098",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_news_11944098",
"name": "\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/people/384067907/rebecca-hersher\">Rebecca Hersher\u003c/a>",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_news_11943590": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_news_11943590",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_news_11943590",
"name": "\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/laurenhepler/\">Lauren Hepler\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/nicole-foy/\">Nicole Foy \u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/wendy-fry/\">Wendy Fry\u003c/a>",
"isLoading": false
},
"kqed": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "236",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "236",
"found": true
},
"name": "KQED News Staff",
"firstName": "KQED News Staff",
"lastName": null,
"slug": "kqed",
"email": "faq@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": null,
"bio": null,
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ef0e801a68c4c54afa9180db14084167?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"contributor"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "futureofyou",
"roles": [
"author"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "KQED News Staff | KQED",
"description": null,
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ef0e801a68c4c54afa9180db14084167?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ef0e801a68c4c54afa9180db14084167?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/kqed"
},
"tychehendricks": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "259",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "259",
"found": true
},
"name": "Tyche Hendricks",
"firstName": "Tyche",
"lastName": "Hendricks",
"slug": "tychehendricks",
"email": "thendricks@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news"
],
"title": "KQED Senior Editor, Immigration",
"bio": "\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tyche Hendricks is KQED’s senior editor for immigration, leading coverage of the policy and politics that affect California’s immigrant communities. Her work for KQED’s radio and online audiences is also carried on NPR and other national outlets. She has been recognized with awards from the Radio and Television News Directors Association, the Society for Professional Journalists; the Education Writers Association; the Best of the West and the National Federation of Community Broadcasters. Before joining KQED in 2010, Tyche spent more than a dozen years as a newspaper reporter, notably at the \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. At different times she has covered criminal justice, government and politics and urban planning. Tyche has taught in the MFA Creative Writing program at the University of San Francisco and at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism, where she was co-director of a national immigration symposium for professional journalists. She is the author of \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Wind Doesn't Need a Passport: Stories from the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (University of California Press). \u003c/span>",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/b8ee458e2731c2d43df86882ce17267e?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "tychehendricks",
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "stateofhealth",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Tyche Hendricks | KQED",
"description": "KQED Senior Editor, Immigration",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/b8ee458e2731c2d43df86882ce17267e?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/b8ee458e2731c2d43df86882ce17267e?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/tychehendricks"
},
"carlysevern": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "3243",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "3243",
"found": true
},
"name": "Carly Severn",
"firstName": "Carly",
"lastName": "Severn",
"slug": "carlysevern",
"email": "csevern@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news"
],
"title": "Senior Editor, Audience News ",
"bio": "Carly is KQED's Senior Editor of Audience News on the Digital News team, and has reported for the California Report Magazine, Bay Curious and KQED Arts. She's formerly the host of \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/pop/category/the-cooler/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Cooler\u003c/a> podcast.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/2d8d6765f186e64c798cf7f0c8088a41?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "teacupinthebay",
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"administrator"
]
},
{
"site": "pop",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "futureofyou",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "about",
"roles": [
"administrator"
]
},
{
"site": "mindshift",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "bayareabites",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "stateofhealth",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "food",
"roles": [
"contributor"
]
},
{
"site": "forum",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "perspectives",
"roles": [
"administrator"
]
},
{
"site": "liveblog",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Carly Severn | KQED",
"description": "Senior Editor, Audience News ",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/2d8d6765f186e64c798cf7f0c8088a41?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/2d8d6765f186e64c798cf7f0c8088a41?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/carlysevern"
},
"ecruzguevarra": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "8654",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "8654",
"found": true
},
"name": "Ericka Cruz Guevarra",
"firstName": "Ericka",
"lastName": "Cruz Guevarra",
"slug": "ecruzguevarra",
"email": "ecruzguevarra@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news"
],
"title": "Producer, The Bay Podcast",
"bio": "Ericka Cruz Guevarra is host of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/podcasts/thebay\">\u003cem>The Bay\u003c/em>\u003c/a> podcast at KQED. Before host, she was the show’s producer. Her work in that capacity includes a three-part reported series on policing in Vallejo, which won a 2020 excellence in journalism award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Ericka has worked as a breaking news reporter at Oregon Public Broadcasting, helped produce the Code Switch podcast, and was KQED’s inaugural Raul Ramirez Diversity Fund intern. She’s also an alumna of NPR’s Next Generation Radio program. Send her an email if you have strong feelings about whether Fairfield and Suisun City are the Bay. Ericka is represented by SAG-AFTRA.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/25e5ab8d3d53fad2dcc7bb2b5c506b1a?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "NotoriousECG",
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"subscriber"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor",
"manage_categories"
]
},
{
"site": "futureofyou",
"roles": [
"subscriber"
]
},
{
"site": "stateofhealth",
"roles": [
"subscriber"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "forum",
"roles": [
"subscriber"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Ericka Cruz Guevarra | KQED",
"description": "Producer, The Bay Podcast",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/25e5ab8d3d53fad2dcc7bb2b5c506b1a?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/25e5ab8d3d53fad2dcc7bb2b5c506b1a?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/ecruzguevarra"
},
"amontecillo": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11649",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11649",
"found": true
},
"name": "Alan Montecillo",
"firstName": "Alan",
"lastName": "Montecillo",
"slug": "amontecillo",
"email": "amontecillo@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news"
],
"title": "KQED Contributor",
"bio": "Alan Montecillo is the senior editor of \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/thebay\">The Bay\u003c/a>, \u003c/em> KQED's local news podcast. Before moving to the Bay Area, he worked as a senior talk show producer for WILL in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois and at Oregon Public Broadcasting in Portland, Oregon. He has won journalism awards from the Society of Professional Journalists Northern California, the Public Media Journalists Association, The Signal Awards, and has also received a regional Edward R. Murrow award. Alan is a Filipino American from Hong Kong and a graduate of Reed College.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d5e4e7a76481969ccba76f4e2b5ccabc?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "alanmontecillo",
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor",
"manage_categories"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Alan Montecillo | KQED",
"description": "KQED Contributor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d5e4e7a76481969ccba76f4e2b5ccabc?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d5e4e7a76481969ccba76f4e2b5ccabc?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/amontecillo"
},
"ebaldassari": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11652",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11652",
"found": true
},
"name": "Erin Baldassari",
"firstName": "Erin",
"lastName": "Baldassari",
"slug": "ebaldassari",
"email": "ebaldassari@KQED.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news"
],
"title": "Staff Writer",
"bio": "Erin Baldassari covers housing for KQED. She's a former print journalist and most recently worked as the transportation reporter for the \u003cem>Mercury News\u003c/em> and \u003cem>East Bay Times. \u003c/em>There, she focused on how the Bay Area’s housing shortage has changed the way people move around the region. She also served on the \u003cem>East Bay Times\u003c/em>’ 2017 Pulitzer Prize-winning team for coverage of the Ghost Ship Fire in Oakland. Prior to that, Erin worked as a breaking news and general assignment reporter for a variety of outlets in the Bay Area and the greater Boston area. A Tufts University alumna, Erin grew up in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains and in Sonoma County. She is a life-long KQED listener.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/660ce35d088ca54ad606d7e941abc652?s=600&d=mm&r=g",
"twitter": "e_baldi",
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"edit_others_posts",
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "liveblog",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Erin Baldassari | KQED",
"description": "Staff Writer",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/660ce35d088ca54ad606d7e941abc652?s=600&d=mm&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/660ce35d088ca54ad606d7e941abc652?s=600&d=mm&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/ebaldassari"
},
"eromero": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11746",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11746",
"found": true
},
"name": "Ezra David Romero",
"firstName": "Ezra David",
"lastName": "Romero",
"slug": "eromero",
"email": "eromero@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news",
"science"
],
"title": "Climate Reporter",
"bio": "Ezra David Romero is a climate reporter for KQED News. He covers the absence and excess of water in the Bay Area — think sea level rise, flooding and drought. For nearly a decade he’s covered how warming temperatures are altering the lives of Californians. He’s reported on farmers worried their pistachio trees aren’t getting enough sleep, families desperate for water, scientists studying dying giant sequoias, and alongside firefighters containing wildfires. His work has appeared on local stations across California and nationally on public radio shows like Morning Edition, Here and Now, All Things Considered and Science Friday. ",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9c15bb8bab267e058708a9eeaeef16bf?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "ezraromero",
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "liveblog",
"roles": [
"author"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Ezra David Romero | KQED",
"description": "Climate Reporter",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9c15bb8bab267e058708a9eeaeef16bf?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9c15bb8bab267e058708a9eeaeef16bf?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/eromero"
},
"mesquinca": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11802",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11802",
"found": true
},
"name": "Maria Esquinca",
"firstName": "Maria",
"lastName": "Esquinca",
"slug": "mesquinca",
"email": "mesquinca@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": "Producer, The Bay",
"bio": "María Esquinca is a producer of The Bay. Before that, she was a New York Women’s Foundation IGNITE Fellow at Latino USA. She worked at Radio Bilingue where she covered the San Joaquin Valley. Maria has interned at WLRN, News 21, The New York Times Student Journalism Institute and at Crain’s Detroit Business as a Dow Jones News Fund Business Reporting Intern. She is an MFA graduate from the University of Miami. In 2017, she graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication with a Master of Mass Communication. A fronteriza, she was born in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico and grew up in El Paso, Texas.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/77cedba18aae91da775038ba06dcd8d0?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "@m_esquinca",
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "news",
"roles": []
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Maria Esquinca | KQED",
"description": "Producer, The Bay",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/77cedba18aae91da775038ba06dcd8d0?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/77cedba18aae91da775038ba06dcd8d0?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/mesquinca"
}
},
"pagesReducer": {
"news_tag_flooding": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_3431",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "3431",
"score": 9.101148
},
"name": "Flooding",
"slug": "flooding",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Flooding | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 3449,
"isLoading": false,
"title": "Flooding",
"pageMeta": {
"site": "news",
"WpPageTemplate": "page-topic-editorial",
"currentPage": 4
},
"blocks": [
{
"blockName": "kqed/post-list",
"attrs": {
"layout": "cardArticle2",
"query": "posts/news?tag=flooding",
"seeMore": false,
"paginated": true,
"page": 4
}
},
{
"blockName": "kqed/ad"
}
]
}
},
"pfsSessionReducer": {},
"postsReducer": {
"stream_live": {
"type": "live",
"id": "stream_live",
"audioUrl": "https://streams.kqed.org/kqedradio",
"title": "Live Stream",
"excerpt": "Live Stream information currently unavailable.",
"link": "/radio",
"featImg": "",
"label": {
"name": "KQED Live",
"link": "/"
}
},
"stream_kqedNewscast": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stream_kqedNewscast",
"audioUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/RDnews/newscast.mp3?_=1",
"title": "KQED Newscast",
"featImg": "",
"label": {
"name": "88.5 FM",
"link": "/"
}
},
"news_11957293": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11957293",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11957293",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1691413210000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "how-californias-rising-insurance-premiums-threaten-affordable-housing",
"title": "How California’s Rising Insurance Premiums Threaten Affordable Housing",
"publishDate": 1691413210,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "How California’s Rising Insurance Premiums Threaten Affordable Housing | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>When Sarah Letts went to renew the property insurance for her organization’s 32 apartment buildings last year, she got a sticker shock: a 33% increase.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year? Her carrier, Great American Insurance Group, dropped the policy entirely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Letts said she might have understood if the nonprofit she helms, Hollywood Community Housing Corporation, was based in a forested area, but the affordable housing properties are all on urban infill sites within Los Angeles County and have been upgraded with sprinklers and seismic reinforcements where needed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are not abutting a fire hazard,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, with less than a month to go before the current policy runs out, she’s scrambling. “We will get [property insurance] because we’re obligated to get it,” Letts said. “But the frightening part is, how much will we pay?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across the state, affordable housing providers report massive increases in insurance premiums — often regardless of where their buildings are located. And for nonprofits in rural areas with a more pronounced wildfire risk, it’s an “existential” crisis, according to Seana O’Shaughnessy, the president and CEO of Community Housing Improvement Program, which manages nearly 3,000 homes and apartments across seven counties in Northern California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said the state’s volatile insurance market calls into question the state’s ability to meet \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11930679/newsom-campaigned-on-building-3-5-million-homes-he-hasnt-gotten-even-close\">Gov. Gavin Newsom’s ambitious goal of building 2.5 million new homes by 2031\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Without a stable insurance market, we aren’t able to build and meet the affordable housing needs of our state, and we aren’t able to operate effectively,” O’Shaughnessy said. “So this cannot be overstated, how important figuring out and fixing and stabilizing insurance is for our industry.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom’s office declined to comment for this story, deferring instead to the California Department of Insurance, which has recently held hearings to address rising premiums, as well as carriers leaving California, an issue that’s impacting all property owners. [pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Seana O’Shaughnessy, president and CEO, Community Housing Improvement Program\"]‘Without a stable insurance market, we aren’t able to build and meet the affordable housing needs of our state, and we aren’t able to operate effectively.’[/pullquote] Affordable housing providers, however, say they are at a particular disadvantage. Unlike for-profit apartment owners, who can raise rents to offset increased costs, the very nature of affordable housing means rents are restricted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our margins in the affordable housing industry are very thin,” O’Shaughnessy said. “So, that means the nonprofit has to subsidize [increased costs].”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Industry groups that track the number of carriers and spending on premiums don’t separate affordable housing from other forms of commercial property. That means apartment buildings are lumped into the same category as gas stations and grocery stores. But according to the analytics firm CoreLogic, commercial property insurance premiums increased 45% since 2018, though the increases were not uniform across sectors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Letts said she is girding for a 100% increase in premiums when she eventually does find a carrier, if not a 150% increase. Such an increase would raise the annual cost of insuring her organization’s properties from $500,000 to somewhere between $1 million to $1.5 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the Community Housing Improvement Program’s 17 apartment buildings, property insurance premiums have more than tripled since 2017, according to the organization.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, nonprofit Burbank Housing’s Director of Asset Management, Julie Heredia, said premiums doubled since 2018 across its portfolio of more than 70 properties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And in Northern California, Ryan LaRue, the executive director of Rural Communities Housing Development Corporation, said property insurance premiums for its portfolio of 33 properties doubled between 2021 and 2022 alone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a disaster,” LaRue said. “It’s a lose-lose for anyone in our part of the industry.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Rising premiums\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Driving the premium increases are inflation, rising interest rates and the ballooning cost of reinsurance, the insurance that carriers get to cover their losses, said Sheri Scott, a principal and consulting actuary at Milliman, an actuarial firm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unlike in other states, California doesn’t allow insurance companies to include the cost of reinsurance in determining its fire insurance rates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11957163\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11957163\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67574_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-37-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A new condo building is seen through the overgrown grasses of the lot across the street.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67574_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-37-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67574_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-37-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67574_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-37-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67574_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-37-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67574_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-37-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67574_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-37-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Laurel at Perennial Park, an affordable apartment complex for seniors, can be seen behind flowers from Journey’s End mobile home park in Santa Rosa on July 28, 2023, which burned almost entirely during the Tubbs Fire in October 2017. Across the state, affordable housing providers report massive increases in insurance premiums — often regardless of where their buildings are located. And for nonprofits in rural areas with a more pronounced wildfire risk, it’s an ‘existential’ crisis. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“And if insurance companies aren’t able to include that cost of doing business in their insurance rates, that could create an issue where insurance companies don’t feel they’re able to get the appropriate rate for the risk,” Scott said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Great American Insurance Group, the carrier that declined to continue providing coverage to Hollywood Community Housing Group, did not respond to requests for comment about its decision to discontinue the nonprofit’s policy. In the single-family home market, large carriers, including Allstate, State Farm, Farmers and AIG, cited economic conditions and the increasing frequency and severity of weather events such as floods and wildfires as reasons for declining to sell new policies in the state. [pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Ryan LaRue, executive director, Rural Communities Housing Development Corporation\"]‘It’s a disaster. It’s a lose-lose for anyone in our part of the industry.’[/pullquote] According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, since 1980 there has been an average of 8.1 weather events nationally that amounted to $1 billion or more in damage. Over the past five years, the average was 18. And, as of July 11 this year, 12 events cost $1 billion or more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are seeing a higher frequency of events and a higher severity of these events when they occur than we ever historically have had,” said Justin Dove, a broker specializing in real estate with Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., a risk management services firm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seven of California’s 10 most destructive wildfires occurred within the past decade, according to Cal Fire. But, insurance carriers in the state are barred from using catastrophe models to estimate their expected future losses to develop insurance rates. Instead, they must look at the previous 20 years of losses, a practice other states have long abandoned, Scott said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are no other states that use that methodology anymore,” she said. “They have since modernized their procedures in what insurance companies use so that they can use catastrophe models.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Deputy Insurance Commissioner Tony Cignarale said the Department of Insurance is currently looking at allowing insurers to use catastrophe modeling, as well as to include the cost of reinsurance in setting rates. Allowing the latter change might improve the availability of insurance, but not necessarily affordability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11957164\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11957164\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67584_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-55-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A large empty lot with overgrown grasses surrounded by houses.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67584_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-55-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67584_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-55-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67584_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-55-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67584_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-55-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67584_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-55-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67584_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-55-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An empty plot of land in Coffey Park in Santa Rosa on July 28, 2023. Seven of California’s 10 most destructive wildfires occurred within the past 10 years, according to Cal Fire. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“With reinsurance, it is an additional cost. So, in theory [premiums] would rise,” Cignarale said. “The question is, how much would be allowable to add on to an individual policyholder’s premium? That’s another area that the [insurance] commissioner is looking at to ensure that it’s not excessive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And while insurance groups say allowing catastrophe modeling won’t necessarily raise rates — it may lower rates for some property owners — Cignarale said more information is needed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re going to take a deeper dive into these catastrophe models and see, are there good models? Are there bad models? Is there a way to make sure that there’s transparency, so that the public, as well as the insurance commissioner, can see what’s under the hood and make sure that there aren’t any negative algorithms there that may be unfair to policyholders just for the sake of increasing rates and premiums?” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s no timeline for when the Department of Insurance will finalize or implement any proposed changes, Cignarale said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the meantime, the department in March announced the FAIR Plan — California’s insurance coverage of last resort. The plan is available to property owners who can’t secure fire insurance, though it doesn’t cover other hazards, such as floods or general liability — and it would raise its coverage cap to $20 million for commercial property owners. The FAIR Plan is expected to begin offering the new coverage by the end of the year. [aside label='More on Affordable Housing' tag='affordable-housing'] In October of 2022, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara began enforcing new regulations requiring insurance carriers to provide discounts to property owners who mitigate their own risk of wildfires. The companies are now in the process of getting those proposed discounts approved by the department.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s really the goal,” Cignarale said. “If you can reduce the risk, then you can reduce the insurance companies’ need to either restrict writing or increase premiums on consumers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But even with all these changes, it isn’t clear whether it would translate into lower premiums for property owners, or if the changing climate and increasing risk from wildfires and other extreme weather will discourage carriers from returning to the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, affordable housing providers say they aren’t going out of business — at least not yet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We always figure it out, but I don’t know that we should have to figure it out,” O’Shaughnessy said. “This is something that the state has to help figure out so that we can continue to provide essential housing for folks. We’ll do it as long as we have to, but we do need help.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "California's rising insurance premiums and fleeing carriers are affecting the state’s affordable housing developers and its goal to build 2.5 million homes by 2031.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1738793668,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 35,
"wordCount": 1754
},
"headData": {
"title": "How California’s Rising Insurance Premiums Threaten Affordable Housing | KQED",
"description": "California's rising insurance premiums and fleeing carriers are affecting the state’s affordable housing developers and its goal to build 2.5 million homes by 2031.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "How California’s Rising Insurance Premiums Threaten Affordable Housing",
"datePublished": "2023-08-07T06:00:10-07:00",
"dateModified": "2025-02-05T14:14:28-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"sticky": false,
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/11957293/how-californias-rising-insurance-premiums-threaten-affordable-housing",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>When Sarah Letts went to renew the property insurance for her organization’s 32 apartment buildings last year, she got a sticker shock: a 33% increase.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year? Her carrier, Great American Insurance Group, dropped the policy entirely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Letts said she might have understood if the nonprofit she helms, Hollywood Community Housing Corporation, was based in a forested area, but the affordable housing properties are all on urban infill sites within Los Angeles County and have been upgraded with sprinklers and seismic reinforcements where needed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are not abutting a fire hazard,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, with less than a month to go before the current policy runs out, she’s scrambling. “We will get [property insurance] because we’re obligated to get it,” Letts said. “But the frightening part is, how much will we pay?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across the state, affordable housing providers report massive increases in insurance premiums — often regardless of where their buildings are located. And for nonprofits in rural areas with a more pronounced wildfire risk, it’s an “existential” crisis, according to Seana O’Shaughnessy, the president and CEO of Community Housing Improvement Program, which manages nearly 3,000 homes and apartments across seven counties in Northern California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said the state’s volatile insurance market calls into question the state’s ability to meet \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11930679/newsom-campaigned-on-building-3-5-million-homes-he-hasnt-gotten-even-close\">Gov. Gavin Newsom’s ambitious goal of building 2.5 million new homes by 2031\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Without a stable insurance market, we aren’t able to build and meet the affordable housing needs of our state, and we aren’t able to operate effectively,” O’Shaughnessy said. “So this cannot be overstated, how important figuring out and fixing and stabilizing insurance is for our industry.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom’s office declined to comment for this story, deferring instead to the California Department of Insurance, which has recently held hearings to address rising premiums, as well as carriers leaving California, an issue that’s impacting all property owners. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "‘Without a stable insurance market, we aren’t able to build and meet the affordable housing needs of our state, and we aren’t able to operate effectively.’",
"name": "pullquote",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"size": "medium",
"align": "right",
"citation": "Seana O’Shaughnessy, president and CEO, Community Housing Improvement Program",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp> Affordable housing providers, however, say they are at a particular disadvantage. Unlike for-profit apartment owners, who can raise rents to offset increased costs, the very nature of affordable housing means rents are restricted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our margins in the affordable housing industry are very thin,” O’Shaughnessy said. “So, that means the nonprofit has to subsidize [increased costs].”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Industry groups that track the number of carriers and spending on premiums don’t separate affordable housing from other forms of commercial property. That means apartment buildings are lumped into the same category as gas stations and grocery stores. But according to the analytics firm CoreLogic, commercial property insurance premiums increased 45% since 2018, though the increases were not uniform across sectors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Letts said she is girding for a 100% increase in premiums when she eventually does find a carrier, if not a 150% increase. Such an increase would raise the annual cost of insuring her organization’s properties from $500,000 to somewhere between $1 million to $1.5 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the Community Housing Improvement Program’s 17 apartment buildings, property insurance premiums have more than tripled since 2017, according to the organization.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, nonprofit Burbank Housing’s Director of Asset Management, Julie Heredia, said premiums doubled since 2018 across its portfolio of more than 70 properties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And in Northern California, Ryan LaRue, the executive director of Rural Communities Housing Development Corporation, said property insurance premiums for its portfolio of 33 properties doubled between 2021 and 2022 alone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a disaster,” LaRue said. “It’s a lose-lose for anyone in our part of the industry.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Rising premiums\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Driving the premium increases are inflation, rising interest rates and the ballooning cost of reinsurance, the insurance that carriers get to cover their losses, said Sheri Scott, a principal and consulting actuary at Milliman, an actuarial firm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unlike in other states, California doesn’t allow insurance companies to include the cost of reinsurance in determining its fire insurance rates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11957163\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11957163\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67574_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-37-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A new condo building is seen through the overgrown grasses of the lot across the street.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67574_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-37-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67574_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-37-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67574_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-37-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67574_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-37-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67574_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-37-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67574_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-37-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Laurel at Perennial Park, an affordable apartment complex for seniors, can be seen behind flowers from Journey’s End mobile home park in Santa Rosa on July 28, 2023, which burned almost entirely during the Tubbs Fire in October 2017. Across the state, affordable housing providers report massive increases in insurance premiums — often regardless of where their buildings are located. And for nonprofits in rural areas with a more pronounced wildfire risk, it’s an ‘existential’ crisis. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“And if insurance companies aren’t able to include that cost of doing business in their insurance rates, that could create an issue where insurance companies don’t feel they’re able to get the appropriate rate for the risk,” Scott said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Great American Insurance Group, the carrier that declined to continue providing coverage to Hollywood Community Housing Group, did not respond to requests for comment about its decision to discontinue the nonprofit’s policy. In the single-family home market, large carriers, including Allstate, State Farm, Farmers and AIG, cited economic conditions and the increasing frequency and severity of weather events such as floods and wildfires as reasons for declining to sell new policies in the state. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "‘It’s a disaster. It’s a lose-lose for anyone in our part of the industry.’",
"name": "pullquote",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"size": "medium",
"align": "right",
"citation": "Ryan LaRue, executive director, Rural Communities Housing Development Corporation",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp> According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, since 1980 there has been an average of 8.1 weather events nationally that amounted to $1 billion or more in damage. Over the past five years, the average was 18. And, as of July 11 this year, 12 events cost $1 billion or more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are seeing a higher frequency of events and a higher severity of these events when they occur than we ever historically have had,” said Justin Dove, a broker specializing in real estate with Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., a risk management services firm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seven of California’s 10 most destructive wildfires occurred within the past decade, according to Cal Fire. But, insurance carriers in the state are barred from using catastrophe models to estimate their expected future losses to develop insurance rates. Instead, they must look at the previous 20 years of losses, a practice other states have long abandoned, Scott said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are no other states that use that methodology anymore,” she said. “They have since modernized their procedures in what insurance companies use so that they can use catastrophe models.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Deputy Insurance Commissioner Tony Cignarale said the Department of Insurance is currently looking at allowing insurers to use catastrophe modeling, as well as to include the cost of reinsurance in setting rates. Allowing the latter change might improve the availability of insurance, but not necessarily affordability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11957164\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11957164\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67584_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-55-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A large empty lot with overgrown grasses surrounded by houses.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67584_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-55-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67584_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-55-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67584_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-55-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67584_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-55-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67584_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-55-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS67584_230728-WildfireSantaRosaHousing-55-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An empty plot of land in Coffey Park in Santa Rosa on July 28, 2023. Seven of California’s 10 most destructive wildfires occurred within the past 10 years, according to Cal Fire. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“With reinsurance, it is an additional cost. So, in theory [premiums] would rise,” Cignarale said. “The question is, how much would be allowable to add on to an individual policyholder’s premium? That’s another area that the [insurance] commissioner is looking at to ensure that it’s not excessive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And while insurance groups say allowing catastrophe modeling won’t necessarily raise rates — it may lower rates for some property owners — Cignarale said more information is needed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re going to take a deeper dive into these catastrophe models and see, are there good models? Are there bad models? Is there a way to make sure that there’s transparency, so that the public, as well as the insurance commissioner, can see what’s under the hood and make sure that there aren’t any negative algorithms there that may be unfair to policyholders just for the sake of increasing rates and premiums?” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s no timeline for when the Department of Insurance will finalize or implement any proposed changes, Cignarale said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the meantime, the department in March announced the FAIR Plan — California’s insurance coverage of last resort. The plan is available to property owners who can’t secure fire insurance, though it doesn’t cover other hazards, such as floods or general liability — and it would raise its coverage cap to $20 million for commercial property owners. The FAIR Plan is expected to begin offering the new coverage by the end of the year. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "More on Affordable Housing ",
"tag": "affordable-housing"
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp> In October of 2022, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara began enforcing new regulations requiring insurance carriers to provide discounts to property owners who mitigate their own risk of wildfires. The companies are now in the process of getting those proposed discounts approved by the department.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s really the goal,” Cignarale said. “If you can reduce the risk, then you can reduce the insurance companies’ need to either restrict writing or increase premiums on consumers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But even with all these changes, it isn’t clear whether it would translate into lower premiums for property owners, or if the changing climate and increasing risk from wildfires and other extreme weather will discourage carriers from returning to the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, affordable housing providers say they aren’t going out of business — at least not yet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We always figure it out, but I don’t know that we should have to figure it out,” O’Shaughnessy said. “This is something that the state has to help figure out so that we can continue to provide essential housing for folks. We’ll do it as long as we have to, but we do need help.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/11957293/how-californias-rising-insurance-premiums-threaten-affordable-housing",
"authors": [
"11652"
],
"categories": [
"news_6266",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_3921",
"news_18538",
"news_27626",
"news_3431",
"news_16",
"news_1775",
"news_21358",
"news_881",
"news_4463"
],
"featImg": "news_11957165",
"label": "news"
},
"news_11955083": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11955083",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11955083",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1688986824000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "californias-farmworkers-are-on-the-front-lines-of-climate-change",
"title": "California's Farmworkers Are on the Front Lines of Climate Change",
"publishDate": 1688986824,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "California’s Farmworkers Are on the Front Lines of Climate Change | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"term": 72,
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">José Federico Sierra remembers the summer when ash rained down like snow and clouds of wildfire smoke reddened the sky and choked his lungs. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That was three years ago, as the SCU Lightning Complex Fire raged across hundreds of thousands of acres just a few miles west of Gustine, the San Joaquin Valley town where Sierra works at a large dairy farm.[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Antonia Sierra Martínez, community health worker, Valley Onward\"]‘How is it possible that we’re living through such a drastic increase in heat?’[/pullquote]Fires were bad the next year, too. And no matter what, Sierra said, his job keeps him outdoors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You can’t change your work if you’re caring for livestock every day,” he said. “You just have to put on a mask and take care of yourself the best you can.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a recent sunny day, Sierra was wrangling pregnant cows onto a livestock trailer to transport them to another part of the dairy, where they would give birth. But he hopped down from his pickup truck and greeted his sister Antonia Sierra Martínez, 45, a community health worker with a local nonprofit, Valley Onward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11953850\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66521_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-43-BL-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11953850\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66521_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-43-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Cows stand in rows of outdoor pens, some shaded and others in the sun.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66521_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-43-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66521_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-43-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66521_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-43-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66521_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-43-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66521_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-43-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66521_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-43-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cows stand in a barn in Gustine on June 21, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Though California has been spared major fires so far this year, Sierra Martínez and another community advocate were out surveying farmworkers for a state public health study about the effects of wildfire smoke. Her brother agreed to be interviewed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In California’s Central Valley, climate change is making conditions increasingly dangerous for the state’s farmworkers, whose jobs keep them outdoors all day. Even as summer temperatures hit triple digits and the threat of wildfires is ever present, some rural communities are still recovering from last winter’s catastrophic floods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11953848\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66507_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-20-BL-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11953848 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66507_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-20-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Two women in black polo shirts smile together with a man and a teenager in front of a large white pick-up truck with a hitch attached to it.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66507_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-20-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66507_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-20-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66507_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-20-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66507_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-20-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66507_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-20-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66507_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-20-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Valley Onward employees Antonia Sierra Martínez (center) and Maria Alapizco (right) speak with José Federico Sierra (far right) at the farm where he works in Gustine while his son, Axel, 12, listens. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Yes, my asthma — my breathing — was most affected,” said Sierra, recalling the fire in 2020. “It felt like I was gasping for air inside a plastic bag.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“How did you track whether the air quality was getting better or worse?” Sierra Martínez asked. “For example, did you listen to the radio or use an app?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My symptoms told me,” said her brother. “I felt better when the air was cleaner — and when it was harder to breathe, I knew the air was more polluted.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Rising temperatures, rising risks\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=\"news_11940316,news_11952059,news_11944295\" label=\"Related Posts\"]Sierra Martínez told me that she’d developed asthma, too, after moving to Gustine from Mexico to be with her farmworker husband.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even without wildfires, the San Joaquin Valley has \u003ca href=\"https://www.csustan.edu/sites/default/files/groups/Geography/Images/airpe.pdf\">some of the worst pollution in the nation (PDF)\u003c/a>. And as the weather heats up, the air quality gets worse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Climate change from carbon emissions is \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2022-01/CA4_CCA_SJ_Region_Eng_ada.pdf\">making the valley hotter (PDF)\u003c/a>. In 2021, Fresno had a \u003ca href=\"https://www.fresnobee.com/fresnoland/article264860474.html\">record-breaking\u003c/a> 69 days where temperatures exceeded 100 degrees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“How is it possible that we’re living through such a drastic increase in heat?” asked Sierra Martínez. “It’s sad, because here in the valley, most of our people work outside in the fields. They’re exposed to these temperatures from sunup to sundown.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11953844\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66492_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-01-BL-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11953844 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66492_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-01-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Two women walk down a sidewalk wearing black polo shirts and baseball caps in a residential neighborhood under bright sun.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66492_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-01-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66492_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-01-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66492_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-01-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66492_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-01-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66492_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-01-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66492_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-01-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Valley Onward employees Maria Alapizco (left) and Antonia Sierra Martínez walk to a home in Gustine to speak with a resident. They interview residents about working conditions and their health as it relates to pollution and toxins they are exposed to in their community and at work. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>California — unlike the federal government — does require employers to provide outdoor workers with \u003ca href=\"https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/heatillnessinfo.html\">shade, water and rest breaks\u003c/a>. The state also has \u003ca href=\"https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/wildfire/Worker-Protection-from-Wildfire-Smoke.html\">standards to protect workers from wildfire smoke\u003c/a>. But Sierra Martínez says some bosses are better than others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If your supervisor tells you to keep working when you know you need a break, don’t obey him. Just go! Get in the shade!” she tells field-workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In California, \u003ca href=\"https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/naws/pdfs/NAWS%20Research%20Report%2015.pdf\">90% of farmworkers are immigrants (PDF)\u003c/a>, most from Mexico. More than half are undocumented. Though most have worked in agriculture here for decades, their tenuous immigration status leaves many afraid to challenge their bosses, for fear they could be fired or deported, said Sierra Martínez.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Michael Méndez, a UC Irvine professor of environmental policy, has studied disaster response efforts and the marginalization of unauthorized immigrants, most of whom have no pathway to legal immigration status in the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“No other population has experienced this great California climate displacement more than undocumented immigrants, farmworkers and migrant communities,” he said. “From drought that spiraled into extreme wildfire events, to heat waves … to this hydroclimatic whiplash, where we’ve gone from too much dryness to too much wetness, and individuals are being inundated from these extreme storms and failure in our infrastructure and our levees.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And, \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Méndez \u003c/span> says, that power imbalance is no accident. Political decisions have left many immigrants, especially unauthorized workers, out of the social safety net, even when they are growing the food that supports the state’s population. Undocumented immigrants don’t qualify for disaster assistance or most other forms of federal aid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These disparate, disproportionate impacts have been baked into our infrastructure, into our disaster policies that essentially have been withholding vital resources from these communities for decades, if not centuries,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Shut out from flood relief\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>On the east side of Merced County, those impacts played out dramatically last January when a levee on an irrigation canal ruptured in a storm, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11940221/undocumented-residents-in-planada-struggle-to-get-help-they-need-after-storms\">flooded hundreds of farmworker families\u003c/a> in the town of Planada. Residents say the canal was choked with trash and the levee had been neglected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One recent day, Miriam Herrera Ceja, 28, showed me the flood damage in her rented house, where the floors are buckling and the doors are stuck.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A mother of three and wife of a dairy worker, Herrera Ceja said the flood left her family with a mountain of unexpected expenses. Sewage-laced water ruined the car, as well as the fridge, the oven, the washer and dryer, the furniture and the children’s clothes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11954665\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66656_20230621-PlanadaFlooding-012-TH-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11954665 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66656_20230621-PlanadaFlooding-012-TH-KQED-800x572.jpg\" alt=\"A woman wearing a dark t-shirt holds a baby wearing a camouflage shirt while a small child wearing a grey shirt with blue jeans sits on a swing to the left holding food in their hand.\" width=\"800\" height=\"572\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66656_20230621-PlanadaFlooding-012-TH-KQED-800x572.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66656_20230621-PlanadaFlooding-012-TH-KQED-1020x729.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66656_20230621-PlanadaFlooding-012-TH-KQED-160x114.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66656_20230621-PlanadaFlooding-012-TH-KQED-1536x1097.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66656_20230621-PlanadaFlooding-012-TH-KQED-1920x1372.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66656_20230621-PlanadaFlooding-012-TH-KQED.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Miriam Herrera Ceja, 28, holds her toddler, Adriel, while her son Axel, 8, plays on a swing at her home in Planada, on June 20, 2023. She and her farmworker husband have faced severe financial struggles since the January floods in Planada. \u003ccite>(Tyche Hendricks/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Miriam Herrera Ceja, Planada resident\"]‘I think everyone in the Planada community was set back. But we won’t let it break us.’[/pullquote]With her 1-year-old son, Adriel, on her hip, Herrera Ceja leafed through a stack of medical bills on the kitchen table, amounting to nearly $4,000 she owes for a hospital visit in January, when the baby got sick at the evacuation center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We all got sick from the dampness, but the little one had it the worst,” she said. “He couldn’t breathe, and the people at the shelter sent us straight to the hospital.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Herrera Ceja and her family had settled in Planada a year and a half before the storm hit. They were admitted to the U.S. to seek asylum after her husband was shot, and nearly killed, by members of a criminal organization in their home state of Michoacán, Mexico, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was so scared. And the government couldn’t protect us. We had to get out of there,” she said. “Here we were building a new life, starting over from zero. Now we’re left with nothing again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Planada, Herrera Ceja says they feel safe from violence. And she and her husband had saved up a little money to hire an immigration attorney for their asylum case. But now, that money has been spent on a replacement car so he can get to work. And since they don’t have asylum yet, the family was turned down for \u003ca href=\"https://www.fema.gov/assistance/individual/program/citizenship-immigration-status\">aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sitting on her front stoop as her oldest child, 8-year-old Axel, played on a swing in the front yard, Herrera Ceja said she knows her family is not the only one suffering.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think everyone in the Planada community was set back,” she said. Then with a wry smile, she added, “But we won’t let it break us. We’ve got to keep moving forward.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11954661\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66646_20230621-PlanadaFlooding-005-TH-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11954661 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66646_20230621-PlanadaFlooding-005-TH-KQED-800x572.jpg\" alt=\"An older Latino man wearing a white t-shirt and black shorts stands in front of a house with a garden, pipe materials and a vehicle on the right.\" width=\"800\" height=\"572\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66646_20230621-PlanadaFlooding-005-TH-KQED-800x572.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66646_20230621-PlanadaFlooding-005-TH-KQED-1020x729.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66646_20230621-PlanadaFlooding-005-TH-KQED-160x114.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66646_20230621-PlanadaFlooding-005-TH-KQED-1536x1097.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66646_20230621-PlanadaFlooding-005-TH-KQED-1920x1372.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66646_20230621-PlanadaFlooding-005-TH-KQED.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Anastacio Rosales, 70, stands outside his home in Planada, which flooded with 3 feet of water after a levee on an irrigation canal ruptured six months earlier on Jan. 9, 2023. \u003ccite>(Tyche Hendricks/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Even Planada residents with more resources have struggled. Anastacio Rosales, 70, is a U.S. citizen and did get some help from FEMA. But though he’s a homeowner, he wasn’t carrying flood insurance. After water pooled 3 feet deep inside his house, he depended on volunteers to help tear out the sodden Sheetrock so he could rebuild the walls from the studs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Six months after the floodwaters receded, Rosales is still slowly salvaging and disinfecting his belongings, which are stacked shoulder-high under tarps on his back patio. And, Rosales said, the crop cycle has been thrown off. A semi-retired farmworker, he said he hasn’t been able to get work in the sweet potato fields this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There was so much water in the fields,” he said. “The planting happened really late. So now there’s very little work.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And many of Rosales’ neighbors who are undocumented immigrants — and also lost jobs due to the storms — are not eligible for federal unemployment insurance. The state \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11946661/ive-been-contributing-undocumented-workers-are-key-to-californias-economy-a-new-bill-would-give-them-unemployment-benefits\">Legislature is considering a bill\u003c/a> to create a state safety net program for these workers, but Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a similar measure last year, citing fiscal concerns.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A glimmer of hope\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Advocates say the flooding in Planada and elsewhere — including the Salinas Valley town of Pajaro, which was swamped after a levee break in March — was preventable, if infrastructure had been properly maintained.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11954994\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/070523-PLANADA-FLOODING-GettyImages-JS-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11954994\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/070523-PLANADA-FLOODING-GettyImages-JS-KQED-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Cars sit in floodwaters in a residential neighborhood.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/070523-PLANADA-FLOODING-GettyImages-JS-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/070523-PLANADA-FLOODING-GettyImages-JS-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/070523-PLANADA-FLOODING-GettyImages-JS-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/070523-PLANADA-FLOODING-GettyImages-JS-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/070523-PLANADA-FLOODING-GettyImages-JS-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/070523-PLANADA-FLOODING-GettyImages-JS-KQED.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cars sit in floodwaters in Planada on Jan. 11, 2023. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It was just a nightmare this winter, watching this play out first in Planada and then in other communities,” said Madeline Harris of the Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability, a Central Valley group that advocates for the rights of rural, lower-income communities. “It was a similar story every time, of a predominantly Latino, farmworker, disadvantaged community that flooded. If their communities had not been neglected for years, this never would have happened.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But now there is a glimmer of hope for Planada residents like Rosales and Herrera Ceja.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This spring, researchers from the UC Merced Community and Labor Center, partnering with community members and advocates from the Leadership Counsel and other nonprofits, \u003ca href=\"https://clc.ucmerced.edu/sites/clc.ucmerced.edu/files/page/documents/disaster_response_0.pdf\">conducted a survey (PDF)\u003c/a> to capture the scope of the losses in Planada. The figure they reached to restore the town: $20 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And some lawmakers were listening, including Planada’s state Senator Anna Caballero and Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11953847\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66505_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-18-BL-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11953847 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66505_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-18-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Rows of trees in an orchard line the right hand side of a rural road as seen through the windshield of a car.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66505_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-18-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66505_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-18-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66505_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-18-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66505_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-18-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66505_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-18-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66505_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-18-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Valley Onward employees Antonia Sierra Martínez and Maria Alapizco drive to speak with a resident in Gustine on June 21, 2023. Valley Onward is a nonprofit centered on health equity and empowering women and people of color in Merced County. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Working with lawmakers from the Pajaro area, they were able to ensure that this year’s state budget includes \u003ca href=\"https://sd14.senate.ca.gov/news/press-release/central-valley-secures-120-million-vital-funding-flood-recovery-and-restoration\">$20 million for Planada,\u003c/a> plus another $20 million for Pajaro, to help residents — regardless of immigration status — recover. The funds were approved as part of a larger package to improve flood resilience statewide — in spite of a $31 billion budget gap that lawmakers had to close.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Placing a line item on the state budget … for the exact amount that we had estimated was needed. This is incredible,” said Edward Flores, co-director of the UC Merced labor center, who conducted the survey.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Flores says the disaster in Planada — and the magnitude of climate-driven impacts hitting California farmworkers — raise a much bigger question.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So many workers are excluded from policies that are designed to protect people during times of need,” he said. “And if we’re facing increasing disasters and there’s a gap in our policy that’s not supporting those low-wage workers, then how do we need to change our policies in order to close that gap, to support those workers that are the most vulnerable during these times?”\u003c/p>\n\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Farmworkers in the Central Valley face excessive heat and the threat of wildfires, in jobs that keep them outdoors all day. And many are still recovering from last winter's flooding, with little federal aid to support them.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1726000666,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 45,
"wordCount": 2214
},
"headData": {
"title": "California's Farmworkers Are on the Front Lines of Climate Change | KQED",
"description": "Farmworkers in the Central Valley face excessive heat and the threat of wildfires, in jobs that keep them outdoors all day. And many are still recovering from last winter's flooding, with little federal aid to support them.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "California's Farmworkers Are on the Front Lines of Climate Change",
"datePublished": "2023-07-10T04:00:24-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-09-10T13:37:46-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"audioUrl": "https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/d2579070-8443-4aa0-8cc4-b036010eb766/audio.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/11955083/californias-farmworkers-are-on-the-front-lines-of-climate-change",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">José Federico Sierra remembers the summer when ash rained down like snow and clouds of wildfire smoke reddened the sky and choked his lungs. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That was three years ago, as the SCU Lightning Complex Fire raged across hundreds of thousands of acres just a few miles west of Gustine, the San Joaquin Valley town where Sierra works at a large dairy farm.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "‘How is it possible that we’re living through such a drastic increase in heat?’",
"name": "pullquote",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"size": "medium",
"align": "right",
"citation": "Antonia Sierra Martínez, community health worker, Valley Onward",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Fires were bad the next year, too. And no matter what, Sierra said, his job keeps him outdoors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You can’t change your work if you’re caring for livestock every day,” he said. “You just have to put on a mask and take care of yourself the best you can.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a recent sunny day, Sierra was wrangling pregnant cows onto a livestock trailer to transport them to another part of the dairy, where they would give birth. But he hopped down from his pickup truck and greeted his sister Antonia Sierra Martínez, 45, a community health worker with a local nonprofit, Valley Onward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11953850\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66521_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-43-BL-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11953850\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66521_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-43-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Cows stand in rows of outdoor pens, some shaded and others in the sun.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66521_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-43-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66521_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-43-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66521_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-43-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66521_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-43-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66521_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-43-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66521_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-43-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cows stand in a barn in Gustine on June 21, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Though California has been spared major fires so far this year, Sierra Martínez and another community advocate were out surveying farmworkers for a state public health study about the effects of wildfire smoke. Her brother agreed to be interviewed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In California’s Central Valley, climate change is making conditions increasingly dangerous for the state’s farmworkers, whose jobs keep them outdoors all day. Even as summer temperatures hit triple digits and the threat of wildfires is ever present, some rural communities are still recovering from last winter’s catastrophic floods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11953848\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66507_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-20-BL-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11953848 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66507_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-20-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Two women in black polo shirts smile together with a man and a teenager in front of a large white pick-up truck with a hitch attached to it.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66507_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-20-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66507_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-20-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66507_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-20-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66507_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-20-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66507_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-20-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66507_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-20-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Valley Onward employees Antonia Sierra Martínez (center) and Maria Alapizco (right) speak with José Federico Sierra (far right) at the farm where he works in Gustine while his son, Axel, 12, listens. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Yes, my asthma — my breathing — was most affected,” said Sierra, recalling the fire in 2020. “It felt like I was gasping for air inside a plastic bag.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“How did you track whether the air quality was getting better or worse?” Sierra Martínez asked. “For example, did you listen to the radio or use an app?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My symptoms told me,” said her brother. “I felt better when the air was cleaner — and when it was harder to breathe, I knew the air was more polluted.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Rising temperatures, rising risks\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_11940316,news_11952059,news_11944295",
"label": "Related Posts "
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Sierra Martínez told me that she’d developed asthma, too, after moving to Gustine from Mexico to be with her farmworker husband.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even without wildfires, the San Joaquin Valley has \u003ca href=\"https://www.csustan.edu/sites/default/files/groups/Geography/Images/airpe.pdf\">some of the worst pollution in the nation (PDF)\u003c/a>. And as the weather heats up, the air quality gets worse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Climate change from carbon emissions is \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2022-01/CA4_CCA_SJ_Region_Eng_ada.pdf\">making the valley hotter (PDF)\u003c/a>. In 2021, Fresno had a \u003ca href=\"https://www.fresnobee.com/fresnoland/article264860474.html\">record-breaking\u003c/a> 69 days where temperatures exceeded 100 degrees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“How is it possible that we’re living through such a drastic increase in heat?” asked Sierra Martínez. “It’s sad, because here in the valley, most of our people work outside in the fields. They’re exposed to these temperatures from sunup to sundown.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11953844\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66492_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-01-BL-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11953844 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66492_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-01-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Two women walk down a sidewalk wearing black polo shirts and baseball caps in a residential neighborhood under bright sun.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66492_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-01-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66492_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-01-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66492_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-01-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66492_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-01-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66492_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-01-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66492_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-01-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Valley Onward employees Maria Alapizco (left) and Antonia Sierra Martínez walk to a home in Gustine to speak with a resident. They interview residents about working conditions and their health as it relates to pollution and toxins they are exposed to in their community and at work. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>California — unlike the federal government — does require employers to provide outdoor workers with \u003ca href=\"https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/heatillnessinfo.html\">shade, water and rest breaks\u003c/a>. The state also has \u003ca href=\"https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/wildfire/Worker-Protection-from-Wildfire-Smoke.html\">standards to protect workers from wildfire smoke\u003c/a>. But Sierra Martínez says some bosses are better than others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If your supervisor tells you to keep working when you know you need a break, don’t obey him. Just go! Get in the shade!” she tells field-workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In California, \u003ca href=\"https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/naws/pdfs/NAWS%20Research%20Report%2015.pdf\">90% of farmworkers are immigrants (PDF)\u003c/a>, most from Mexico. More than half are undocumented. Though most have worked in agriculture here for decades, their tenuous immigration status leaves many afraid to challenge their bosses, for fear they could be fired or deported, said Sierra Martínez.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Michael Méndez, a UC Irvine professor of environmental policy, has studied disaster response efforts and the marginalization of unauthorized immigrants, most of whom have no pathway to legal immigration status in the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“No other population has experienced this great California climate displacement more than undocumented immigrants, farmworkers and migrant communities,” he said. “From drought that spiraled into extreme wildfire events, to heat waves … to this hydroclimatic whiplash, where we’ve gone from too much dryness to too much wetness, and individuals are being inundated from these extreme storms and failure in our infrastructure and our levees.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And, \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Méndez \u003c/span> says, that power imbalance is no accident. Political decisions have left many immigrants, especially unauthorized workers, out of the social safety net, even when they are growing the food that supports the state’s population. Undocumented immigrants don’t qualify for disaster assistance or most other forms of federal aid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These disparate, disproportionate impacts have been baked into our infrastructure, into our disaster policies that essentially have been withholding vital resources from these communities for decades, if not centuries,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Shut out from flood relief\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>On the east side of Merced County, those impacts played out dramatically last January when a levee on an irrigation canal ruptured in a storm, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11940221/undocumented-residents-in-planada-struggle-to-get-help-they-need-after-storms\">flooded hundreds of farmworker families\u003c/a> in the town of Planada. Residents say the canal was choked with trash and the levee had been neglected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One recent day, Miriam Herrera Ceja, 28, showed me the flood damage in her rented house, where the floors are buckling and the doors are stuck.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A mother of three and wife of a dairy worker, Herrera Ceja said the flood left her family with a mountain of unexpected expenses. Sewage-laced water ruined the car, as well as the fridge, the oven, the washer and dryer, the furniture and the children’s clothes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11954665\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66656_20230621-PlanadaFlooding-012-TH-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11954665 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66656_20230621-PlanadaFlooding-012-TH-KQED-800x572.jpg\" alt=\"A woman wearing a dark t-shirt holds a baby wearing a camouflage shirt while a small child wearing a grey shirt with blue jeans sits on a swing to the left holding food in their hand.\" width=\"800\" height=\"572\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66656_20230621-PlanadaFlooding-012-TH-KQED-800x572.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66656_20230621-PlanadaFlooding-012-TH-KQED-1020x729.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66656_20230621-PlanadaFlooding-012-TH-KQED-160x114.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66656_20230621-PlanadaFlooding-012-TH-KQED-1536x1097.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66656_20230621-PlanadaFlooding-012-TH-KQED-1920x1372.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66656_20230621-PlanadaFlooding-012-TH-KQED.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Miriam Herrera Ceja, 28, holds her toddler, Adriel, while her son Axel, 8, plays on a swing at her home in Planada, on June 20, 2023. She and her farmworker husband have faced severe financial struggles since the January floods in Planada. \u003ccite>(Tyche Hendricks/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "‘I think everyone in the Planada community was set back. But we won’t let it break us.’",
"name": "pullquote",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"size": "medium",
"align": "right",
"citation": "Miriam Herrera Ceja, Planada resident",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>With her 1-year-old son, Adriel, on her hip, Herrera Ceja leafed through a stack of medical bills on the kitchen table, amounting to nearly $4,000 she owes for a hospital visit in January, when the baby got sick at the evacuation center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We all got sick from the dampness, but the little one had it the worst,” she said. “He couldn’t breathe, and the people at the shelter sent us straight to the hospital.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Herrera Ceja and her family had settled in Planada a year and a half before the storm hit. They were admitted to the U.S. to seek asylum after her husband was shot, and nearly killed, by members of a criminal organization in their home state of Michoacán, Mexico, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was so scared. And the government couldn’t protect us. We had to get out of there,” she said. “Here we were building a new life, starting over from zero. Now we’re left with nothing again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Planada, Herrera Ceja says they feel safe from violence. And she and her husband had saved up a little money to hire an immigration attorney for their asylum case. But now, that money has been spent on a replacement car so he can get to work. And since they don’t have asylum yet, the family was turned down for \u003ca href=\"https://www.fema.gov/assistance/individual/program/citizenship-immigration-status\">aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sitting on her front stoop as her oldest child, 8-year-old Axel, played on a swing in the front yard, Herrera Ceja said she knows her family is not the only one suffering.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think everyone in the Planada community was set back,” she said. Then with a wry smile, she added, “But we won’t let it break us. We’ve got to keep moving forward.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11954661\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66646_20230621-PlanadaFlooding-005-TH-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11954661 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66646_20230621-PlanadaFlooding-005-TH-KQED-800x572.jpg\" alt=\"An older Latino man wearing a white t-shirt and black shorts stands in front of a house with a garden, pipe materials and a vehicle on the right.\" width=\"800\" height=\"572\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66646_20230621-PlanadaFlooding-005-TH-KQED-800x572.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66646_20230621-PlanadaFlooding-005-TH-KQED-1020x729.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66646_20230621-PlanadaFlooding-005-TH-KQED-160x114.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66646_20230621-PlanadaFlooding-005-TH-KQED-1536x1097.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66646_20230621-PlanadaFlooding-005-TH-KQED-1920x1372.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66646_20230621-PlanadaFlooding-005-TH-KQED.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Anastacio Rosales, 70, stands outside his home in Planada, which flooded with 3 feet of water after a levee on an irrigation canal ruptured six months earlier on Jan. 9, 2023. \u003ccite>(Tyche Hendricks/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Even Planada residents with more resources have struggled. Anastacio Rosales, 70, is a U.S. citizen and did get some help from FEMA. But though he’s a homeowner, he wasn’t carrying flood insurance. After water pooled 3 feet deep inside his house, he depended on volunteers to help tear out the sodden Sheetrock so he could rebuild the walls from the studs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Six months after the floodwaters receded, Rosales is still slowly salvaging and disinfecting his belongings, which are stacked shoulder-high under tarps on his back patio. And, Rosales said, the crop cycle has been thrown off. A semi-retired farmworker, he said he hasn’t been able to get work in the sweet potato fields this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There was so much water in the fields,” he said. “The planting happened really late. So now there’s very little work.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And many of Rosales’ neighbors who are undocumented immigrants — and also lost jobs due to the storms — are not eligible for federal unemployment insurance. The state \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11946661/ive-been-contributing-undocumented-workers-are-key-to-californias-economy-a-new-bill-would-give-them-unemployment-benefits\">Legislature is considering a bill\u003c/a> to create a state safety net program for these workers, but Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a similar measure last year, citing fiscal concerns.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A glimmer of hope\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Advocates say the flooding in Planada and elsewhere — including the Salinas Valley town of Pajaro, which was swamped after a levee break in March — was preventable, if infrastructure had been properly maintained.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11954994\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/070523-PLANADA-FLOODING-GettyImages-JS-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11954994\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/070523-PLANADA-FLOODING-GettyImages-JS-KQED-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Cars sit in floodwaters in a residential neighborhood.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/070523-PLANADA-FLOODING-GettyImages-JS-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/070523-PLANADA-FLOODING-GettyImages-JS-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/070523-PLANADA-FLOODING-GettyImages-JS-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/070523-PLANADA-FLOODING-GettyImages-JS-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/070523-PLANADA-FLOODING-GettyImages-JS-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/070523-PLANADA-FLOODING-GettyImages-JS-KQED.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cars sit in floodwaters in Planada on Jan. 11, 2023. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It was just a nightmare this winter, watching this play out first in Planada and then in other communities,” said Madeline Harris of the Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability, a Central Valley group that advocates for the rights of rural, lower-income communities. “It was a similar story every time, of a predominantly Latino, farmworker, disadvantaged community that flooded. If their communities had not been neglected for years, this never would have happened.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But now there is a glimmer of hope for Planada residents like Rosales and Herrera Ceja.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This spring, researchers from the UC Merced Community and Labor Center, partnering with community members and advocates from the Leadership Counsel and other nonprofits, \u003ca href=\"https://clc.ucmerced.edu/sites/clc.ucmerced.edu/files/page/documents/disaster_response_0.pdf\">conducted a survey (PDF)\u003c/a> to capture the scope of the losses in Planada. The figure they reached to restore the town: $20 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And some lawmakers were listening, including Planada’s state Senator Anna Caballero and Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11953847\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66505_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-18-BL-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11953847 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66505_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-18-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Rows of trees in an orchard line the right hand side of a rural road as seen through the windshield of a car.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66505_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-18-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66505_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-18-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66505_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-18-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66505_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-18-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66505_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-18-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66505_230621-CentralValleyClimateChange-18-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Valley Onward employees Antonia Sierra Martínez and Maria Alapizco drive to speak with a resident in Gustine on June 21, 2023. Valley Onward is a nonprofit centered on health equity and empowering women and people of color in Merced County. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Working with lawmakers from the Pajaro area, they were able to ensure that this year’s state budget includes \u003ca href=\"https://sd14.senate.ca.gov/news/press-release/central-valley-secures-120-million-vital-funding-flood-recovery-and-restoration\">$20 million for Planada,\u003c/a> plus another $20 million for Pajaro, to help residents — regardless of immigration status — recover. The funds were approved as part of a larger package to improve flood resilience statewide — in spite of a $31 billion budget gap that lawmakers had to close.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Placing a line item on the state budget … for the exact amount that we had estimated was needed. This is incredible,” said Edward Flores, co-director of the UC Merced labor center, who conducted the survey.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Flores says the disaster in Planada — and the magnitude of climate-driven impacts hitting California farmworkers — raise a much bigger question.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So many workers are excluded from policies that are designed to protect people during times of need,” he said. “And if we’re facing increasing disasters and there’s a gap in our policy that’s not supporting those low-wage workers, then how do we need to change our policies in order to close that gap, to support those workers that are the most vulnerable during these times?”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/11955083/californias-farmworkers-are-on-the-front-lines-of-climate-change",
"authors": [
"259"
],
"programs": [
"news_72"
],
"categories": [
"news_34165",
"news_19906",
"news_457",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_255",
"news_18269",
"news_27626",
"news_3431",
"news_5525",
"news_32889",
"news_4463"
],
"featImg": "news_11953851",
"label": "news_72"
},
"news_11951923": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11951923",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11951923",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1685659028000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "state-farm-abruptly-halts-california-home-insurance-due-to-profit-loss-over-fires-floods",
"title": "California Scrambles to Save Its Home Insurance Industry After State Farm Opts Out of Selling New Policies",
"publishDate": 1685659028,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "California Scrambles to Save Its Home Insurance Industry After State Farm Opts Out of Selling New Policies | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"term": 18481,
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>State Farm made national headlines last week when it said it would stop selling new home insurance policies in California. As California’s largest single provider of bundled home insurance policies — the company had \u003ca href=\"https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/120-company/04-mrktshare/2021/upload/Top25grps2021wa_Revised.pdf\">20% of the market in 2021 (PDF)\u003c/a> — the news struck some as the beginning of a fresh emergency, with insurers abandoning a fire- and flood-ravaged state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the retraction of California’s biggest home coverage provider is only the latest development in a wildfire-fueled crisis that has smoldered beneath the surface of the state’s insurance market for years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Seren Taylor, vice president, Personal Insurance Federation of California\"] ‘State Farm sort of publicly said what they were doing, but I think for the last few years, we’ve all seen insurers restricting and pulling back their business in California.’[/pullquote]After the disastrous fires of 2017 and 2018, the number of Californians who were told by their insurers that their policies wouldn’t be renewed \u003ca href=\"https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/200-wrr/upload/CDI-Fact-Sheet-Residential-Insurance-Market-Policy-Count-Data-December-2022.pdf\">jumped up by 42% (PDF)\u003c/a> to almost 235,000 households. The two severe wildfire years wiped out decades of industry profits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year, American International Group \u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/articles/wildfire-risk-in-california-drives-insurers-to-pull-policies-for-pricey-homes-11642593601?mod=article_inline\">let thousands of customers know their home insurance policies would not be renewed\u003c/a>, and Chubb, a high-end insurer, said it would continue to non-renew some of its customers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And late last year, thousands of condo owners also found themselves among the uninsurable as the state’s regulated insurers \u003ca href=\"https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/story/2023-02-10/san-diego-lawmakers-urge-state-to-help-condo-owners-hit-by-soaring-insurance-costs\">dropped suburban homeowner association members\u003c/a> in droves across San Diego County’s wildfire-prone shrubland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=\"news_11937459,science_1980493,news_11933739\" label=\"Related Posts\"]“State Farm sort of publicly said what they were doing, but I think for the last few years, we’ve all seen insurers restricting and pulling back their business in California,” said Seren Taylor, vice president of Personal Insurance Federation of California, an industry trade group that counts State Farm as a member.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State officials emphasized that State Farm’s current policyholders will not lose coverage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s important to note that current customers will not lose their insurance,” wrote Michael Soller, deputy insurance commissioner at California’s Insurance Department, in an email to CalMatters. This decision will affect people who are shopping for home insurance, in that they will have one fewer provider to choose from.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State Farm in a press release blamed high construction costs that make it extra expensive to rebuild after a home is destroyed in California, growing natural disaster risk — particularly from wildfires — and “a challenging reinsurance market.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Insurance companies frequently purchase their own insurance — known as “reinsurance” — to minimize the risk of getting hit with millions of dollars of costs all at once, as might happen during a catastrophic wildfire or a major hurricane.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/articles/insurers-are-facing-a-steep-rise-in-reinsurance-rates-11667858056\">Reinsurance premiums have spiked\u003c/a> in recent years in disaster-prone states like fire-ravaged California and storm-battered Florida, Louisiana and Texas. California law prohibits insurers from passing along the cost of reinsurance to customers. Industry groups are lobbying to change that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is tough for legislators,” said John Norwood, a lobbyist for independent insurance brokers. “Because the solution is prices going up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How California regulates home insurance\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>High rebuild costs, increasingly severe wildfires and high prices of reinsurance all are risks that insurance companies might be willing to take on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But only for the right price.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Increases in insurance premiums in California are approved or denied by the state’s elected insurance commissioner, Ricardo Lara. Industry groups have long argued that Lara’s office has not allowed providers to set prices commensurate with the cost of doing business in fire-prone California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have very inexpensive home insurance in California,” compared to other states, said Michael Wara, director of the climate and energy policy program at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. “But the thing is, five years ago, we realized, ‘Oh, yeah, actually in California you can burn down 50,000 houses overnight.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The consequences of a continued drip-drip decline of insurers from California could be far more costly in the long run, warns Dan Dunmoyer, president of the California Building Industry Association.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As an illustration, he points to California history. After the 1994 Northridge earthquake dealt roughly $42 billion in damage across Southern California, \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/opinion/la-xpm-2014-jan-17-la-oe-ones-northridge-quake-insurance-20140117-story.html\">many home insurers opted to stop doing new business\u003c/a> in California entirely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because home insurance is a basic requirement for most home loans, the exodus of insurers caused the state real estate industry to grind to a halt, Dunmoyer recalled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The whole world stopped,” he said. “That’s the worst-case scenario. We’re not quite there yet.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Can California block State Farm’s retreat?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>There are various ideas circulating — some more drastic than others— about what the state can do to keep State Farm in the market.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The advocacy group Consumer Watchdog on Tuesday argued that \u003ca href=\"https://consumerwatchdog.org/insurance/insurance-commissioner-lara-must-use-prop-103-authority-to-reverse-state-farms-pullback/\">Insurance Commissioner Lara\u003c/a> has the power to order State Farm to reverse its decision. That authority, the group said, comes from Proposition 103, a voter-backed initiative passed in 1988 that gave the department the power to approve or deny premium increases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wara, from Stanford Law, said the idea was a “nonconstructive approach to this problem.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said the entire insurance industry likely would sue the state if the California insurance department were to assert that authority, and the lawsuit would take several years to resolve. He said he finds it “hard to believe” that a court would force the industry to keep issuing new insurance policies during the years the case was in court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That is a recipe for the entire market falling apart, potentially overnight,” Wara said. “That would undo not just the insurance market, but everybody that has a home mortgage in California, everybody that wants to buy or sell a home in California.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Last resort for California homeowners\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Another sword hanging over the state’s insurance industry: The possible demise of the FAIR Plan, the limited insurance plan Californians can turn to when no standard private company will cover them. It’s funded by levies on private insurance companies that do business in the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of other insurers have stopped selling,” said Amy Bach, executive director of United Policyholders, a consumer group. “If you talk to an agent or broker today, they’re going to tell you it can be pretty hard to find insurance” outside of the FAIR Plan, Bach said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the risk of catastrophic wildfire ramps up across California, that risk falls disproportionately on the FAIR Plan. And if an especially severe fire season renders the plan bankrupt, the tab will fall on those insurers still doing business in the state in proportion to their share of the market, said Wara.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State Farm, as the largest insurer, would have to chip in the most. That’s one reason the company might have decided to not issue new policies anywhere in California rather than just limiting new policies to places with low wildfire risk. “State Farm is saying ‘we want less of that,’” Wara said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That problem isn’t unique to California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Texas, the increasing severity of Gulf Coast hurricanes has driven tens of thousands of homeowners onto that state’s chartered backstop insurer, leading to \u003ca href=\"https://www.eenews.net/articles/growing-insurance-crisis-spreads-to-texas/\">talk of an inevitable crisis\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Florida, the crisis may already have arrived. This week, Florida’s insurance commissioner authorized a \u003ca href=\"https://thecapitolist.com/citizens-insurance-secures-1-25-billion-in-credit-ahead-of-hurricane-season/\">$1.25 billion line of credit\u003c/a> to that state’s insurer of last resort — now the single largest insurer — in preparation for the coming storm season.\u003c/p>\n\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Wildfires and expensive rebuilding wiped out profits among California home insurers. State Farm isn't the first insurer to retreat from the state, and may not be the last.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1725922372,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 34,
"wordCount": 1322
},
"headData": {
"title": "California Scrambles to Save Its Home Insurance Industry After State Farm Opts Out of Selling New Policies | KQED",
"description": "Wildfires and expensive rebuilding wiped out profits among California home insurers. State Farm isn't the first insurer to retreat from the state, and may not be the last.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "California Scrambles to Save Its Home Insurance Industry After State Farm Opts Out of Selling New Policies",
"datePublished": "2023-06-01T15:37:08-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-09-09T15:52:52-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "Ben Christopher and Grace Gedye",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/11951923/state-farm-abruptly-halts-california-home-insurance-due-to-profit-loss-over-fires-floods",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>State Farm made national headlines last week when it said it would stop selling new home insurance policies in California. As California’s largest single provider of bundled home insurance policies — the company had \u003ca href=\"https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/120-company/04-mrktshare/2021/upload/Top25grps2021wa_Revised.pdf\">20% of the market in 2021 (PDF)\u003c/a> — the news struck some as the beginning of a fresh emergency, with insurers abandoning a fire- and flood-ravaged state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the retraction of California’s biggest home coverage provider is only the latest development in a wildfire-fueled crisis that has smoldered beneath the surface of the state’s insurance market for years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": " ‘State Farm sort of publicly said what they were doing, but I think for the last few years, we’ve all seen insurers restricting and pulling back their business in California.’",
"name": "pullquote",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"size": "medium",
"align": "right",
"citation": "Seren Taylor, vice president, Personal Insurance Federation of California",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>After the disastrous fires of 2017 and 2018, the number of Californians who were told by their insurers that their policies wouldn’t be renewed \u003ca href=\"https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/200-wrr/upload/CDI-Fact-Sheet-Residential-Insurance-Market-Policy-Count-Data-December-2022.pdf\">jumped up by 42% (PDF)\u003c/a> to almost 235,000 households. The two severe wildfire years wiped out decades of industry profits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year, American International Group \u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/articles/wildfire-risk-in-california-drives-insurers-to-pull-policies-for-pricey-homes-11642593601?mod=article_inline\">let thousands of customers know their home insurance policies would not be renewed\u003c/a>, and Chubb, a high-end insurer, said it would continue to non-renew some of its customers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And late last year, thousands of condo owners also found themselves among the uninsurable as the state’s regulated insurers \u003ca href=\"https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/story/2023-02-10/san-diego-lawmakers-urge-state-to-help-condo-owners-hit-by-soaring-insurance-costs\">dropped suburban homeowner association members\u003c/a> in droves across San Diego County’s wildfire-prone shrubland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_11937459,science_1980493,news_11933739",
"label": "Related Posts "
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“State Farm sort of publicly said what they were doing, but I think for the last few years, we’ve all seen insurers restricting and pulling back their business in California,” said Seren Taylor, vice president of Personal Insurance Federation of California, an industry trade group that counts State Farm as a member.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State officials emphasized that State Farm’s current policyholders will not lose coverage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s important to note that current customers will not lose their insurance,” wrote Michael Soller, deputy insurance commissioner at California’s Insurance Department, in an email to CalMatters. This decision will affect people who are shopping for home insurance, in that they will have one fewer provider to choose from.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State Farm in a press release blamed high construction costs that make it extra expensive to rebuild after a home is destroyed in California, growing natural disaster risk — particularly from wildfires — and “a challenging reinsurance market.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Insurance companies frequently purchase their own insurance — known as “reinsurance” — to minimize the risk of getting hit with millions of dollars of costs all at once, as might happen during a catastrophic wildfire or a major hurricane.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/articles/insurers-are-facing-a-steep-rise-in-reinsurance-rates-11667858056\">Reinsurance premiums have spiked\u003c/a> in recent years in disaster-prone states like fire-ravaged California and storm-battered Florida, Louisiana and Texas. California law prohibits insurers from passing along the cost of reinsurance to customers. Industry groups are lobbying to change that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is tough for legislators,” said John Norwood, a lobbyist for independent insurance brokers. “Because the solution is prices going up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How California regulates home insurance\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>High rebuild costs, increasingly severe wildfires and high prices of reinsurance all are risks that insurance companies might be willing to take on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But only for the right price.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Increases in insurance premiums in California are approved or denied by the state’s elected insurance commissioner, Ricardo Lara. Industry groups have long argued that Lara’s office has not allowed providers to set prices commensurate with the cost of doing business in fire-prone California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have very inexpensive home insurance in California,” compared to other states, said Michael Wara, director of the climate and energy policy program at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. “But the thing is, five years ago, we realized, ‘Oh, yeah, actually in California you can burn down 50,000 houses overnight.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The consequences of a continued drip-drip decline of insurers from California could be far more costly in the long run, warns Dan Dunmoyer, president of the California Building Industry Association.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As an illustration, he points to California history. After the 1994 Northridge earthquake dealt roughly $42 billion in damage across Southern California, \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/opinion/la-xpm-2014-jan-17-la-oe-ones-northridge-quake-insurance-20140117-story.html\">many home insurers opted to stop doing new business\u003c/a> in California entirely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because home insurance is a basic requirement for most home loans, the exodus of insurers caused the state real estate industry to grind to a halt, Dunmoyer recalled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The whole world stopped,” he said. “That’s the worst-case scenario. We’re not quite there yet.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Can California block State Farm’s retreat?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>There are various ideas circulating — some more drastic than others— about what the state can do to keep State Farm in the market.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The advocacy group Consumer Watchdog on Tuesday argued that \u003ca href=\"https://consumerwatchdog.org/insurance/insurance-commissioner-lara-must-use-prop-103-authority-to-reverse-state-farms-pullback/\">Insurance Commissioner Lara\u003c/a> has the power to order State Farm to reverse its decision. That authority, the group said, comes from Proposition 103, a voter-backed initiative passed in 1988 that gave the department the power to approve or deny premium increases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wara, from Stanford Law, said the idea was a “nonconstructive approach to this problem.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said the entire insurance industry likely would sue the state if the California insurance department were to assert that authority, and the lawsuit would take several years to resolve. He said he finds it “hard to believe” that a court would force the industry to keep issuing new insurance policies during the years the case was in court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That is a recipe for the entire market falling apart, potentially overnight,” Wara said. “That would undo not just the insurance market, but everybody that has a home mortgage in California, everybody that wants to buy or sell a home in California.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Last resort for California homeowners\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Another sword hanging over the state’s insurance industry: The possible demise of the FAIR Plan, the limited insurance plan Californians can turn to when no standard private company will cover them. It’s funded by levies on private insurance companies that do business in the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of other insurers have stopped selling,” said Amy Bach, executive director of United Policyholders, a consumer group. “If you talk to an agent or broker today, they’re going to tell you it can be pretty hard to find insurance” outside of the FAIR Plan, Bach said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the risk of catastrophic wildfire ramps up across California, that risk falls disproportionately on the FAIR Plan. And if an especially severe fire season renders the plan bankrupt, the tab will fall on those insurers still doing business in the state in proportion to their share of the market, said Wara.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State Farm, as the largest insurer, would have to chip in the most. That’s one reason the company might have decided to not issue new policies anywhere in California rather than just limiting new policies to places with low wildfire risk. “State Farm is saying ‘we want less of that,’” Wara said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That problem isn’t unique to California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Texas, the increasing severity of Gulf Coast hurricanes has driven tens of thousands of homeowners onto that state’s chartered backstop insurer, leading to \u003ca href=\"https://www.eenews.net/articles/growing-insurance-crisis-spreads-to-texas/\">talk of an inevitable crisis\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Florida, the crisis may already have arrived. This week, Florida’s insurance commissioner authorized a \u003ca href=\"https://thecapitolist.com/citizens-insurance-secures-1-25-billion-in-credit-ahead-of-hurricane-season/\">$1.25 billion line of credit\u003c/a> to that state’s insurer of last resort — now the single largest insurer — in preparation for the coming storm season.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/11951923/state-farm-abruptly-halts-california-home-insurance-due-to-profit-loss-over-fires-floods",
"authors": [
"byline_news_11951923"
],
"categories": [
"news_6266",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_3431",
"news_1775",
"news_18159",
"news_4463"
],
"affiliates": [
"news_18481"
],
"featImg": "news_11951934",
"label": "news_18481"
},
"news_11948668": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11948668",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11948668",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1683932461000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1683932461,
"format": "standard",
"title": "Allensworth Braces For Floods; ’70s Band Fanny Reclaims Their Right To Rock",
"headTitle": "Allensworth Braces For Floods; ’70s Band Fanny Reclaims Their Right To Rock | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-california-report-magazine/id1314750545?mt=2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Listen to this and more in-depth storytelling by subscribing to The California Report Magazine podcast.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11949138/how-systemic-racism-is-putting-allensworth-a-historically-black-town-at-risk-of-flooding-again\">How a Legacy of Racism Is Putting a 115-Year-Old Historically Black Town At Risk of Flooding, Again\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Back in the early 1900s, the town of Allensworth became the first California town founded, financed and governed by Black Americans. The fertile Tulare Lake region should’ve been a utopia for the Black doctors, professors and farmers who settled there. But historic power dynamics left them, and the Allensworth community today, on the losing side of many water and land use questions. Now, as the Sierra snowpack melts and floods the Tulare Lake Basin, communities like Allensworth are uniquely vulnerable to flooding. Reporter Teresa Cotsirilos visited Allensworth earlier this spring to learn how residents are coping.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11949142/buried-without-a-trace-the-all-female-rock-group-youve-probably-never-heard\">Meet Fanny, the Best ’70s All-Female Band You Probably Haven’t Heard Of\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When you think of California rockers from the 1970s, bands like the Eagles or Journey might come to mind. You probably don’t picture an interracial band of women — some of them Filipina-American and queer — from places like Sacramento and Folsom. Fanny was the first all-female rock band to release an album on a major label, breaking ground for women musicians like the Go Gos, the B52s, and Bonnie Rait. In fact, Fanny released five albums by 1974, but today, a lot of people haven’t heard of them. A new documentary film screening at CAAMFest in San Francisco follows band members nearly 50 years later as they record a reunion album. Sasha Khokha spoke with June Millington, Fanny’s lead guitarist, and film director, Bobbi Jo Hart, about the band’s legacy, the film and why age is just a number.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 301,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 5
},
"modified": 1683915222,
"excerpt": "Allensworth was the first California town founded and governed by Black Americans back in 1908. Since then, residents have struggled against a legacy of racism in the region that makes the more vulnerable when disasters hit. And, Fanny is back! The 1970s rock group paved the way for other all-women bands with their ferocious playing.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Allensworth was the first California town founded and governed by Black Americans back in 1908. Since then, residents have struggled against a legacy of racism in the region that makes the more vulnerable when disasters hit. And, Fanny is back! The 1970s rock group paved the way for other all-women bands with their ferocious playing.",
"title": "Allensworth Braces For Floods; ’70s Band Fanny Reclaims Their Right To Rock | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Allensworth Braces For Floods; ’70s Band Fanny Reclaims Their Right To Rock",
"datePublished": "2023-05-12T16:01:01-07:00",
"dateModified": "2023-05-12T11:13:42-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "allensworth-braces-for-floods-70s-band-fanny-reclaims-their-right-to-rock",
"status": "publish",
"sourceUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/tcrmag",
"audioUrl": "https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.megaphone.fm/KQINC2048706827.mp3?updated=1683913865",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"source": "The California Report Magazine",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/11948668/allensworth-braces-for-floods-70s-band-fanny-reclaims-their-right-to-rock",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-california-report-magazine/id1314750545?mt=2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Listen to this and more in-depth storytelling by subscribing to The California Report Magazine podcast.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11949138/how-systemic-racism-is-putting-allensworth-a-historically-black-town-at-risk-of-flooding-again\">How a Legacy of Racism Is Putting a 115-Year-Old Historically Black Town At Risk of Flooding, Again\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Back in the early 1900s, the town of Allensworth became the first California town founded, financed and governed by Black Americans. The fertile Tulare Lake region should’ve been a utopia for the Black doctors, professors and farmers who settled there. But historic power dynamics left them, and the Allensworth community today, on the losing side of many water and land use questions. Now, as the Sierra snowpack melts and floods the Tulare Lake Basin, communities like Allensworth are uniquely vulnerable to flooding. Reporter Teresa Cotsirilos visited Allensworth earlier this spring to learn how residents are coping.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11949142/buried-without-a-trace-the-all-female-rock-group-youve-probably-never-heard\">Meet Fanny, the Best ’70s All-Female Band You Probably Haven’t Heard Of\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When you think of California rockers from the 1970s, bands like the Eagles or Journey might come to mind. You probably don’t picture an interracial band of women — some of them Filipina-American and queer — from places like Sacramento and Folsom. Fanny was the first all-female rock band to release an album on a major label, breaking ground for women musicians like the Go Gos, the B52s, and Bonnie Rait. In fact, Fanny released five albums by 1974, but today, a lot of people haven’t heard of them. A new documentary film screening at CAAMFest in San Francisco follows band members nearly 50 years later as they record a reunion album. Sasha Khokha spoke with June Millington, Fanny’s lead guitarist, and film director, Bobbi Jo Hart, about the band’s legacy, the film and why age is just a number.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/11948668/allensworth-braces-for-floods-70s-band-fanny-reclaims-their-right-to-rock",
"authors": [
"236"
],
"programs": [
"news_72",
"news_26731"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795"
],
"tags": [
"news_311",
"news_3431",
"news_1425",
"news_467"
],
"featImg": "news_11949235",
"label": "source_news_11948668"
},
"news_11949138": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11949138",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11949138",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1683896458000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "how-systemic-racism-is-putting-allensworth-a-historically-black-town-at-risk-of-flooding-again",
"title": "How a Legacy of Racism Is Putting a 115-Year-Old Historically Black Town At Risk of Flooding — Again",
"publishDate": 1683896458,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "How a Legacy of Racism Is Putting a 115-Year-Old Historically Black Town At Risk of Flooding — Again | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"term": 26731,
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11925020/promised-land-a-historically-black-california-town-honors-its-proud-painful-past-and-fights-for-its-future\">Allensworth, a farmworker town\u003c/a> of about 500 people in California’s San Joaquin Valley, sits at the edge of an area called the Tulare Lake basin, a patchwork of scrub brush and irrigated farmland that’s part of the most productive agricultural region in the nation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last March, California’s barrage of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11943031/atmospheric-river-storm-san-francisco-bay-area-impacts-march-9-2023\">atmospheric river storms\u003c/a> overwhelmed the area, flooding pistachio orchards and swamping communities, and Allensworth found itself all but surrounded by a shallow sea. Residents were told to evacuate. They were also told that this flood is just the beginning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California is fighting a slow-motion disaster, one that could become its largest flood in recent history. As the near-record snowpack in the Sierra melts, the water making its way through the foothills is pooling in the basin, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/reborn-from-record-winter-tulare-lake-could-see-explosive-growth-from-snowmelt/\">reviving a lake that had long since disappeared\u003c/a>. This process is expected to accelerate over the coming weeks and months, and it could take up to two years to subside. And while the return of Tulare Lake could devastate everyone in the region, historically disenfranchised communities like Allensworth are uniquely vulnerable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11949155\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11949155\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/001_KQED_Allensworth_05042023.jpg\" alt=\"A field is flooded with nearby lake water. Brown brush peeks up from beneath the water.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/001_KQED_Allensworth_05042023.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/001_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/001_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/001_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/001_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Water from Tulare Lake fills a field outside Allensworth. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s a horrific situation,” said Denise Kadara, an Allensworth community leader and vice chair of the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board. “We’re here like sitting ducks, waiting for the water to come and flood us out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Part of Allensworth’s problem stems from the politics of water: For over a hundred years, water in the Tulare Lake basin has been controlled and hoarded by a handful of powerful landowners, usually at the expense of everyone else. The basin’s water management system still favors those landowners, leaving Allensworth with little recourse when floodwaters approach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘I don’t need a whole bunch of people to break the law’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>That was evident one windy night in March, when Allensworth residents Takoa Kadara and his father, Kayode, called an emergency town meeting. The goal was simple: to keep the water massing in the basin from pouring into people’s homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Denise Kadara, vice chair, Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board\"]‘It’s a horrific situation. We’re here like sitting ducks, waiting for the water to come and flood us out.’[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the time, water was flowing toward town through culverts that run under railroad tracks to the east. The culverts are on private property, and the tracks that run on top of them are owned by BNSF Railway, one of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.bnsf.com/bnsf-resources/pdf/about-bnsf/fact_sheet.pdf\">top freight transportation companies in the nation (PDF)\u003c/a>. The last time community members tried to block the culverts with rocks, gravel and plywood, a BNSF employee called the police, then removed the makeshift dam they had built.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11949153\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11949153\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/011_KQED_Allensworth_05042023.jpg\" alt='A gray building with a sign out front that reads, \"Allensworth Community Center.\" A white SUV is parked in the driveway and gray clouds hover above. The road surrounding the property is visibly wet from flooding.' width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/011_KQED_Allensworth_05042023.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/011_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/011_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/011_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/011_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Allensworth Community Center. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Now the group wanted to protect the community, but knew they might be at risk of breaking the law. Residents saw only two options: act illegally, or not at all. And they couldn’t come to an agreement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you guys disagree with this solution, then let’s go home,” Kayode Kadara said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“No, it’s not, ‘Let’s go home!’” his son said. “Let’s come up with another solution.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ll just say it like it is,” said one resident, who declined to give his name. “If I’m gonna break the law, I don’t need a whole bunch of people to break the law [with me]. Ten minutes? We’re gone.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Allensworth residents have tried to block the culverts legally — many, many times. But BNSF wouldn’t give them permission to do it, and so far, the town hasn’t been able to find a government agency with the power to override the corporation’s decision, or persuade it to reconsider. Their \u003ca href=\"https://sjvwater.org/whos-in-charge-agencies-deal-with-fragmented-flood-response-in-the-south-san-joaquin-valley/\">local stormwater district doesn’t have jurisdiction over the railroad’s property\u003c/a>, and representatives from several state agencies, including Caltrans, Cal Fire and the Department of Water Resources, said they couldn’t do anything either, even though community members said those agencies agreed that the water spilling through the culverts is a problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11949152\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11949152\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/015_KQED_Allensworth_05042023.jpg\" alt=\"A pile of sandbags line the perimeter of a small home. In the front yard, a blue trampoline is visible and a weathered, black mailbox sits on top of a thick piece of wood.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/015_KQED_Allensworth_05042023.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/015_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/015_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/015_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/015_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sandbags surround a home in Allensworth. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>BNSF did not respond to a request for comment, but in an \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-03-18/california-towns-frantic-fight-floods\">interview with the\u003cem> Los Angeles Times\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, a company spokesperson claimed that blocking the culverts could damage their tracks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Allensworth was put under a mandatory evacuation order back in March, the Kadaras and most of their neighbors refused to leave. Who would defend their town if they did?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The water flowing is natural,” Denise Kadara said — but, she added, it’s also determined by men who say, “This is where they want the water to go.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The history behind today’s water politics\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>To understand the power dynamics in the Tulare Lake basin — and how Allensworth ended up on the losing side of it — we have to go back to when the town was founded and Tulare Lake was still alive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11949149\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11949149\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/026_KQED_Allensworth_05042023.jpg\" alt=\"A historic sign that reads, "California's African American Pioneers." Illustrations of historic men and women are surrounded by text explaining each figure.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/026_KQED_Allensworth_05042023.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/026_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/026_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/026_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/026_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A sign with information about California’s African American historical figures sits at the entrance to Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In 1908, Lt. Col. Allen Allensworth was a formerly enslaved person who became the highest-ranking Black military officer of his time. As Jim Crow tightened its grip throughout the South, he moved to California to create what he hoped would become the “Tuskegee of the West,” a thriving Black community and college town. Founded by a dream team of Black doctors, professors and farmers, the community of Allensworth became \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11925020/promised-land-a-historically-black-california-town-honors-its-proud-painful-past-and-fights-for-its-future\">the first town in California to be founded, financed and governed by Black Americans\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Allensworth picked a spot near Tulare Lake, which used to be the largest lake west of the Mississippi. Accounts from the late 1800s describe it as shallow, thick with tule reeds and ringed by marshland. Herds of elk waded through the shallows, and millions of migratory birds flocked to its shores every year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But by the time Allensworth got there, the lake was rapidly disappearing — and had been for years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Geologists call that end of the San Joaquin Valley one of the most engineered landscapes in human history,” said Mark Arax, a journalist and expert on the Central Valley’s history and water politics. “[The] human hand has altered that land in a way that few places have been altered.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11949154\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11949154\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/005_KQED_Allensworth_05042023.jpg\" alt=\"A cargo train in the distance steams ahead next to a large dirt field that has been flooded with water. Gray clouds hover above.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/005_KQED_Allensworth_05042023.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/005_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/005_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/005_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/005_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Floodwater from Tulare Lake lingers beside train tracks. One of the main flooding threats residents face are culverts that run under the tracks, sending water straight toward the town. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The residents of Allensworth weren’t the only people who’d settled along Tulare Lake. A group of white landowners had settled there, too — some descending from slave-owning families.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Many of them were Southerners who’d come from the Confederate states,” Arax said. “They arrived here and they started grabbing the snowmelt out of those rivers, and then diverting that onto their farmland.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the 1920s, two particularly bold landowner families, the Boswells and the Salyers, made a move on the lake bed itself. The soil at the bottom was dark and unusually rich; it’d be the perfect place for a farm, if the lake weren’t in the way. So they drained it and diverted the water for irrigation. According to Arax, those diversions ended up drying up the lake completely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Allensworth couldn’t get enough water to sustain itself, no matter how hard the community tried. White farmers diverted a river they relied on. A white-owned company refused to dig the community’s wells, but it was more than happy to dig wells for a white town nearby. By the 1920s, a lot of Allensworth’s original settlers had moved away. And by the 1940s, the white landowners in the Tulare Lake basin had become some of the most powerful farmers in the country, and had successfully seized control of the water for themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11949150\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11949150\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/021_KQED_Allensworth_05042023.jpg\" alt=\"An open field with green and tan weeds and plants sits under a gray, cloudy sky. In the center, a brown, wooden barn rests to the left of two, small white homes.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/021_KQED_Allensworth_05042023.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/021_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/021_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/021_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/021_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Historic homes and buildings fill Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Those long-established power dynamics are still at work in the region. Today, Allensworth is a farmworker town where the tap water isn’t safe to drink. Many of its neighbors are large corporations and wealthy farmers, and these neighbors control many local agencies — like water and reclamation districts — which make decisions about who gets water in dry years and what to do when the floods come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You have these quasi government agencies, but they’re controlled by the biggest landowners,” Arax said. “It’s a no-man’s-land in a lot of ways, and that’s the way it’s operated. It resorts to its own devices all the time.”[aside postID=news_11925109 hero='https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/RS58542_01_Allensworth00018-qut-1020x652.jpg']The Tulare Lake basin also has a long history of levee sabotage. Historically, when the basin has flooded, some farmers have cut levees and blocked canals to protect their land, but this also threatened the town with flooding. This is still happening today. Denise Kadara remembers getting the news from their local stormwater manager in March that a levee on the west side of town had been intentionally breached, prompting calls to evacuate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As communities like Allensworth brace for the snowmelt this spring — and the floods they know are coming — this history of water theft, sabotage and discrimination is always in the backs of their minds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although residents at that March meeting decided against blocking the railroad culverts, they haven’t stayed quiet. Allensworth’s community leaders have been calling every government official they can think of, trying to find someone who can help. And in the past few weeks, Takoa Kadara and his family say some politicians and government agencies have started to respond.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11949163\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11949163 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyTCRMAG-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A Black man with trim white hair and a white beard, wearing a gray, button-up shirt, sits at a table with a white man (the governor) dressed casually in a blue puffer vest, leaning forward with his forearms on his thighs. The two are looking at paperwork in a spare, clean, well-lit commercial room.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1706\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyTCRMAG-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyTCRMAG-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyTCRMAG-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyTCRMAG-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyTCRMAG-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyTCRMAG-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyTCRMAG-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kayode Kadara (left) shows photos to Gov. Gavin Newsom during a meeting with community leaders to talk about flood preparedness, on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, in Allensworth. \u003ccite>(Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Cal Fire’s emergency response team blocked the levee that was allegedly sabotaged, as well as other breaches, saving the town from flooding. Gov. Gavin Newsom visited the community in April, and promised to send more resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Allensworth residents are used to the system in this basin working against them, but they hope that’s finally changing. How state agencies act may be the only thing standing between Allensworth and catastrophic flooding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need all the help we can get from every agency, and every person that wants to help and believes in communities like ours,” Denise Kadara said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Allensworth, in the Tulare Lake basin, braces for major flooding as the Sierra snowpack melts. Residents are hoping California will step in.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1738793670,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 34,
"wordCount": 1860
},
"headData": {
"title": "How a Legacy of Racism Is Putting a 115-Year-Old Historically Black Town At Risk of Flooding — Again | KQED",
"description": "Allensworth, in the Tulare Lake basin, braces for major flooding as the Sierra snowpack melts. Residents are hoping California will step in.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "How a Legacy of Racism Is Putting a 115-Year-Old Historically Black Town At Risk of Flooding — Again",
"datePublished": "2023-05-12T06:00:58-07:00",
"dateModified": "2025-02-05T14:14:30-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"audioUrl": "https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/7a8d5946-855d-46d4-93e8-afff0180a42a/audio.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "\u003ca href=\"https://thefern.org/author/teresathefern-org/\">Teresa Cotsirilos\u003c/a>",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/11949138/how-systemic-racism-is-putting-allensworth-a-historically-black-town-at-risk-of-flooding-again",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11925020/promised-land-a-historically-black-california-town-honors-its-proud-painful-past-and-fights-for-its-future\">Allensworth, a farmworker town\u003c/a> of about 500 people in California’s San Joaquin Valley, sits at the edge of an area called the Tulare Lake basin, a patchwork of scrub brush and irrigated farmland that’s part of the most productive agricultural region in the nation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last March, California’s barrage of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11943031/atmospheric-river-storm-san-francisco-bay-area-impacts-march-9-2023\">atmospheric river storms\u003c/a> overwhelmed the area, flooding pistachio orchards and swamping communities, and Allensworth found itself all but surrounded by a shallow sea. Residents were told to evacuate. They were also told that this flood is just the beginning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California is fighting a slow-motion disaster, one that could become its largest flood in recent history. As the near-record snowpack in the Sierra melts, the water making its way through the foothills is pooling in the basin, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/reborn-from-record-winter-tulare-lake-could-see-explosive-growth-from-snowmelt/\">reviving a lake that had long since disappeared\u003c/a>. This process is expected to accelerate over the coming weeks and months, and it could take up to two years to subside. And while the return of Tulare Lake could devastate everyone in the region, historically disenfranchised communities like Allensworth are uniquely vulnerable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11949155\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11949155\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/001_KQED_Allensworth_05042023.jpg\" alt=\"A field is flooded with nearby lake water. Brown brush peeks up from beneath the water.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/001_KQED_Allensworth_05042023.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/001_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/001_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/001_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/001_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Water from Tulare Lake fills a field outside Allensworth. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s a horrific situation,” said Denise Kadara, an Allensworth community leader and vice chair of the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board. “We’re here like sitting ducks, waiting for the water to come and flood us out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Part of Allensworth’s problem stems from the politics of water: For over a hundred years, water in the Tulare Lake basin has been controlled and hoarded by a handful of powerful landowners, usually at the expense of everyone else. The basin’s water management system still favors those landowners, leaving Allensworth with little recourse when floodwaters approach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘I don’t need a whole bunch of people to break the law’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>That was evident one windy night in March, when Allensworth residents Takoa Kadara and his father, Kayode, called an emergency town meeting. The goal was simple: to keep the water massing in the basin from pouring into people’s homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "‘It’s a horrific situation. We’re here like sitting ducks, waiting for the water to come and flood us out.’",
"name": "pullquote",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"size": "medium",
"align": "right",
"citation": "Denise Kadara, vice chair, Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the time, water was flowing toward town through culverts that run under railroad tracks to the east. The culverts are on private property, and the tracks that run on top of them are owned by BNSF Railway, one of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.bnsf.com/bnsf-resources/pdf/about-bnsf/fact_sheet.pdf\">top freight transportation companies in the nation (PDF)\u003c/a>. The last time community members tried to block the culverts with rocks, gravel and plywood, a BNSF employee called the police, then removed the makeshift dam they had built.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11949153\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11949153\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/011_KQED_Allensworth_05042023.jpg\" alt='A gray building with a sign out front that reads, \"Allensworth Community Center.\" A white SUV is parked in the driveway and gray clouds hover above. The road surrounding the property is visibly wet from flooding.' width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/011_KQED_Allensworth_05042023.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/011_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/011_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/011_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/011_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Allensworth Community Center. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Now the group wanted to protect the community, but knew they might be at risk of breaking the law. Residents saw only two options: act illegally, or not at all. And they couldn’t come to an agreement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you guys disagree with this solution, then let’s go home,” Kayode Kadara said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“No, it’s not, ‘Let’s go home!’” his son said. “Let’s come up with another solution.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ll just say it like it is,” said one resident, who declined to give his name. “If I’m gonna break the law, I don’t need a whole bunch of people to break the law [with me]. Ten minutes? We’re gone.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Allensworth residents have tried to block the culverts legally — many, many times. But BNSF wouldn’t give them permission to do it, and so far, the town hasn’t been able to find a government agency with the power to override the corporation’s decision, or persuade it to reconsider. Their \u003ca href=\"https://sjvwater.org/whos-in-charge-agencies-deal-with-fragmented-flood-response-in-the-south-san-joaquin-valley/\">local stormwater district doesn’t have jurisdiction over the railroad’s property\u003c/a>, and representatives from several state agencies, including Caltrans, Cal Fire and the Department of Water Resources, said they couldn’t do anything either, even though community members said those agencies agreed that the water spilling through the culverts is a problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11949152\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11949152\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/015_KQED_Allensworth_05042023.jpg\" alt=\"A pile of sandbags line the perimeter of a small home. In the front yard, a blue trampoline is visible and a weathered, black mailbox sits on top of a thick piece of wood.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/015_KQED_Allensworth_05042023.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/015_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/015_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/015_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/015_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sandbags surround a home in Allensworth. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>BNSF did not respond to a request for comment, but in an \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-03-18/california-towns-frantic-fight-floods\">interview with the\u003cem> Los Angeles Times\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, a company spokesperson claimed that blocking the culverts could damage their tracks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Allensworth was put under a mandatory evacuation order back in March, the Kadaras and most of their neighbors refused to leave. Who would defend their town if they did?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The water flowing is natural,” Denise Kadara said — but, she added, it’s also determined by men who say, “This is where they want the water to go.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The history behind today’s water politics\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>To understand the power dynamics in the Tulare Lake basin — and how Allensworth ended up on the losing side of it — we have to go back to when the town was founded and Tulare Lake was still alive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11949149\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11949149\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/026_KQED_Allensworth_05042023.jpg\" alt=\"A historic sign that reads, "California's African American Pioneers." Illustrations of historic men and women are surrounded by text explaining each figure.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/026_KQED_Allensworth_05042023.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/026_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/026_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/026_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/026_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A sign with information about California’s African American historical figures sits at the entrance to Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In 1908, Lt. Col. Allen Allensworth was a formerly enslaved person who became the highest-ranking Black military officer of his time. As Jim Crow tightened its grip throughout the South, he moved to California to create what he hoped would become the “Tuskegee of the West,” a thriving Black community and college town. Founded by a dream team of Black doctors, professors and farmers, the community of Allensworth became \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11925020/promised-land-a-historically-black-california-town-honors-its-proud-painful-past-and-fights-for-its-future\">the first town in California to be founded, financed and governed by Black Americans\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Allensworth picked a spot near Tulare Lake, which used to be the largest lake west of the Mississippi. Accounts from the late 1800s describe it as shallow, thick with tule reeds and ringed by marshland. Herds of elk waded through the shallows, and millions of migratory birds flocked to its shores every year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But by the time Allensworth got there, the lake was rapidly disappearing — and had been for years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Geologists call that end of the San Joaquin Valley one of the most engineered landscapes in human history,” said Mark Arax, a journalist and expert on the Central Valley’s history and water politics. “[The] human hand has altered that land in a way that few places have been altered.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11949154\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11949154\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/005_KQED_Allensworth_05042023.jpg\" alt=\"A cargo train in the distance steams ahead next to a large dirt field that has been flooded with water. Gray clouds hover above.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/005_KQED_Allensworth_05042023.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/005_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/005_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/005_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/005_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Floodwater from Tulare Lake lingers beside train tracks. One of the main flooding threats residents face are culverts that run under the tracks, sending water straight toward the town. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The residents of Allensworth weren’t the only people who’d settled along Tulare Lake. A group of white landowners had settled there, too — some descending from slave-owning families.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Many of them were Southerners who’d come from the Confederate states,” Arax said. “They arrived here and they started grabbing the snowmelt out of those rivers, and then diverting that onto their farmland.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the 1920s, two particularly bold landowner families, the Boswells and the Salyers, made a move on the lake bed itself. The soil at the bottom was dark and unusually rich; it’d be the perfect place for a farm, if the lake weren’t in the way. So they drained it and diverted the water for irrigation. According to Arax, those diversions ended up drying up the lake completely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Allensworth couldn’t get enough water to sustain itself, no matter how hard the community tried. White farmers diverted a river they relied on. A white-owned company refused to dig the community’s wells, but it was more than happy to dig wells for a white town nearby. By the 1920s, a lot of Allensworth’s original settlers had moved away. And by the 1940s, the white landowners in the Tulare Lake basin had become some of the most powerful farmers in the country, and had successfully seized control of the water for themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11949150\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11949150\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/021_KQED_Allensworth_05042023.jpg\" alt=\"An open field with green and tan weeds and plants sits under a gray, cloudy sky. In the center, a brown, wooden barn rests to the left of two, small white homes.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/021_KQED_Allensworth_05042023.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/021_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/021_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/021_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/021_KQED_Allensworth_05042023-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Historic homes and buildings fill Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Those long-established power dynamics are still at work in the region. Today, Allensworth is a farmworker town where the tap water isn’t safe to drink. Many of its neighbors are large corporations and wealthy farmers, and these neighbors control many local agencies — like water and reclamation districts — which make decisions about who gets water in dry years and what to do when the floods come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You have these quasi government agencies, but they’re controlled by the biggest landowners,” Arax said. “It’s a no-man’s-land in a lot of ways, and that’s the way it’s operated. It resorts to its own devices all the time.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_11925109",
"hero": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/RS58542_01_Allensworth00018-qut-1020x652.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The Tulare Lake basin also has a long history of levee sabotage. Historically, when the basin has flooded, some farmers have cut levees and blocked canals to protect their land, but this also threatened the town with flooding. This is still happening today. Denise Kadara remembers getting the news from their local stormwater manager in March that a levee on the west side of town had been intentionally breached, prompting calls to evacuate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As communities like Allensworth brace for the snowmelt this spring — and the floods they know are coming — this history of water theft, sabotage and discrimination is always in the backs of their minds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although residents at that March meeting decided against blocking the railroad culverts, they haven’t stayed quiet. Allensworth’s community leaders have been calling every government official they can think of, trying to find someone who can help. And in the past few weeks, Takoa Kadara and his family say some politicians and government agencies have started to respond.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11949163\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11949163 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyTCRMAG-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A Black man with trim white hair and a white beard, wearing a gray, button-up shirt, sits at a table with a white man (the governor) dressed casually in a blue puffer vest, leaning forward with his forearms on his thighs. The two are looking at paperwork in a spare, clean, well-lit commercial room.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1706\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyTCRMAG-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyTCRMAG-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyTCRMAG-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyTCRMAG-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyTCRMAG-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyTCRMAG-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyTCRMAG-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kayode Kadara (left) shows photos to Gov. Gavin Newsom during a meeting with community leaders to talk about flood preparedness, on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, in Allensworth. \u003ccite>(Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Cal Fire’s emergency response team blocked the levee that was allegedly sabotaged, as well as other breaches, saving the town from flooding. Gov. Gavin Newsom visited the community in April, and promised to send more resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Allensworth residents are used to the system in this basin working against them, but they hope that’s finally changing. How state agencies act may be the only thing standing between Allensworth and catastrophic flooding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need all the help we can get from every agency, and every person that wants to help and believes in communities like ours,” Denise Kadara said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/11949138/how-systemic-racism-is-putting-allensworth-a-historically-black-town-at-risk-of-flooding-again",
"authors": [
"byline_news_11949138"
],
"programs": [
"news_26731"
],
"categories": [
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_31595",
"news_20023",
"news_27626",
"news_3431",
"news_467",
"news_29941"
],
"featImg": "news_11949151",
"label": "news_26731"
},
"news_11948072": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11948072",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11948072",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1682726204000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "preparing-for-californias-big-melt-aids-lifecycle",
"title": "Preparing for California's 'Big Melt' | AIDS/LifeCycle",
"publishDate": 1682726204,
"format": "video",
"headTitle": "Preparing for California’s ‘Big Melt’ | AIDS/LifeCycle | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"term": 7052,
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cb>Preparing for California’s ‘Big Melt’\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This past winter saw waves of atmospheric river storms unleash nearly unprecedented levels of rain on California. And while the storms left a multibillion-dollar trail of damage in their wake, they also finally brought about the end of a years-long drought that had gripped the Golden State. Now as we head toward summer, the water from those same winter storms is gearing up for its next act: “The Big Melt.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Guests:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Dan Brekke, KQED editor and reporter\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gerry D\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">í\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">az, \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> newsroom meteorologist \u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>AIDS/LifeCycle Race\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The AIDS/LifeCycle kicks off this June, and this year participants will travel from San Francisco to Santa Monica in a seven-day, 545-mile bicycle ride. We talk about the event’s history and why it has long been billed as much more than a race.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Guests:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tracy Evans, AIDS/LifeCycle senior director\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tyler TerMeer, San Francisco AIDS Foundation CEO\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Something Beautiful: Youth Takeover and Mount Diablo\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This week, we have a guest host: a high schooler who is a member of KQED’s Youth Advisory Board. All week, KQED has been including young people in our programming, as part of our commitment to education and engaging with our community. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This week’s look at Something Beautiful is Mount Diablo, which is visible from most of the Bay Area. Once there, visitors can opt to picnic at the summit or hike through Rock City. Several Indigenous tribes including the Ohlone, Nisenan, and Miwok consider it sacred ground.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": null,
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1738793934,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 11,
"wordCount": 268
},
"headData": {
"title": "Preparing for California's 'Big Melt' | AIDS/LifeCycle | KQED",
"description": "Preparing for California's 'Big Melt' This past winter saw waves of atmospheric river storms unleash nearly unprecedented levels of rain on California. And while the storms left a multibillion-dollar trail of damage in their wake, they also finally brought about the end of a years-long drought that had gripped the Golden State. Now as we head toward summer, the water from those same winter storms is gearing up for its next act: "The Big Melt." Guests: Dan Brekke, KQED editor and reporter Gerry Díaz, San Francisco Chronicle newsroom meteorologist AIDS/LifeCycle Race The AIDS/LifeCycle kicks off this June, and this year",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Preparing for California's 'Big Melt' | AIDS/LifeCycle",
"datePublished": "2023-04-28T16:56:44-07:00",
"dateModified": "2025-02-05T14:18:54-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"videoEmbed": "https://youtu.be/yLQNXL3-pMQ",
"sticky": false,
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/11948072/preparing-for-californias-big-melt-aids-lifecycle",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cb>Preparing for California’s ‘Big Melt’\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This past winter saw waves of atmospheric river storms unleash nearly unprecedented levels of rain on California. And while the storms left a multibillion-dollar trail of damage in their wake, they also finally brought about the end of a years-long drought that had gripped the Golden State. Now as we head toward summer, the water from those same winter storms is gearing up for its next act: “The Big Melt.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Guests:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Dan Brekke, KQED editor and reporter\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gerry D\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">í\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">az, \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> newsroom meteorologist \u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>AIDS/LifeCycle Race\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The AIDS/LifeCycle kicks off this June, and this year participants will travel from San Francisco to Santa Monica in a seven-day, 545-mile bicycle ride. We talk about the event’s history and why it has long been billed as much more than a race.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Guests:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tracy Evans, AIDS/LifeCycle senior director\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tyler TerMeer, San Francisco AIDS Foundation CEO\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Something Beautiful: Youth Takeover and Mount Diablo\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This week, we have a guest host: a high schooler who is a member of KQED’s Youth Advisory Board. All week, KQED has been including young people in our programming, as part of our commitment to education and engaging with our community. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This week’s look at Something Beautiful is Mount Diablo, which is visible from most of the Bay Area. Once there, visitors can opt to picnic at the summit or hike through Rock City. Several Indigenous tribes including the Ohlone, Nisenan, and Miwok consider it sacred ground.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/11948072/preparing-for-californias-big-melt-aids-lifecycle",
"authors": [
"236"
],
"programs": [
"news_7052"
],
"categories": [
"news_223",
"news_31795",
"news_19906",
"news_457",
"news_8",
"news_356",
"news_25641"
],
"tags": [
"news_20447",
"news_311",
"news_24620",
"news_20023",
"news_3431",
"news_32298",
"news_29548",
"news_4794",
"news_21950",
"news_312",
"news_467",
"news_23013"
],
"featImg": "news_11948076",
"label": "news_7052"
},
"news_11946922": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11946922",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11946922",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1681775003000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "its-a-nightmare-dairy-farmers-struggle-to-bounce-back-from-record-floods",
"title": "‘It’s a Nightmare’: Dairy Farmers Struggle to Bounce Back From Record Floods",
"publishDate": 1681775003,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "‘It’s a Nightmare’: Dairy Farmers Struggle to Bounce Back From Record Floods | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>Floodwaters from an overflowing Lake Success reached the Tule River next to Joseph Goni’s Tulare family dairy on March 15, in the middle of the night, much faster than he had expected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Goni and his fiancee woke up, the water was at their front door. By the time his sister and brother-in-law, who also lived on the farm, pulled their children out of their home in pajamas, 2 to 3 feet of water was rushing everywhere, impossible to stop.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Goni choked up recently as he and Roberto Martinez, a 30-year employee, recounted how floodwaters nearly washed away the dairy three generations of his family had built.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11946960\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.03-PM.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11946960\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.03-PM-800x529.png\" alt=\"Empty cow stalls on a farm.\" width=\"800\" height=\"529\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.03-PM-800x529.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.03-PM-1020x674.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.03-PM-160x106.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.03-PM.png 1120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Empty cow stalls on Lerda-Goni Farms outside Tulare on March 23, 2023. The stalls were emptied after floodwater submerged the farm after a series of storms. \u003ccite>(Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters/CatchLight Local)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It started with us,” Goni said of the gushing water. “Then we started hearing about it moving toward Corcoran. And it was just one dairy after the other, after the other.”[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Anja Raudabaugh, CEO, Western United Dairies\"]‘This was an unmitigated disaster. I don’t know how to plan for a river. It’s a nightmare.’[/pullquote]Over 72 hours, Goni, Martinez and dozens of neighbors and livestock haulers who arrived with trucks and trailers frantically herded some 2,400 cows and heifers into trailers in the dark. Even with weeks of planning, moving a few hundred head would have been difficult; moving this many in floodwaters was a nightmare, the men said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11946961\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.12-PM.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11946961\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.12-PM-800x531.png\" alt=\"A man wearing a beige shirt, dark long sleeve shirt and suspenders stands in a empty cow stall.\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.12-PM-800x531.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.12-PM-1020x677.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.12-PM-160x106.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.12-PM.png 1124w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Roberto Martinez, a long-time employee of Lerda-Goni Farms, stands in the empty cow stalls on the farm on March 23, 2023. \u003ccite>(Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters/CatchLight Local)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The cows went to six area dairies that were on safer ground, and Goni said he was overwhelmed by his community’s support. Goni remembers joking he would understand if workers left.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have to fight,” Martinez said, adding that Goni’s father, who died last year, would have wanted them to. “We can’t lose everything because of this week.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thousands of San Joaquin Valley farmers, workers and residents are coping with acres of floodwaters and muck, tallying the damage. One industry official estimated $20 billion in losses for \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/Statistics/PDFs/2022_Ag_Stats_Review.pdf\">dairy, California’s No. 1 agricultural industry (PDF)\u003c/a>, generating $7 billion in revenue statewide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some who lost homes also fear losing weeks or months of income. After months of atmospheric rivers, storms and record floods, the long-dry Tulare Lake is rising again from the San Joaquin Valley floor. It will be fed, experts said, by a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2023/03/california-storm-reservoirs-flooding/\">historic snowpack\u003c/a> melting in the Sierra Nevada.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Will California be ready?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11946962\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.22-PM.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11946962\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.22-PM-800x528.png\" alt=\"Pieces of a drainage pipe in a large body of water.\" width=\"800\" height=\"528\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.22-PM-800x528.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.22-PM-1020x673.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.22-PM-160x106.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.22-PM-1536x1013.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.22-PM.png 1540w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pieces of canal drainage pipes that were swept away down the canal after a flood hit the area on March 23, 2023. \u003ccite>(Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters/CatchLight Local)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>So far, the track record for state and local emergency response has been mixed, especially in the San Joaquin Valley, where local agencies have struggled to mediate conflicts between landowners and flooded communities, and where state officials have yet to clarify their oversight role.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Farmers, workers and residents in several flooded communities complained that it took weeks for the state to gain federal help through a disaster designation. Even with that, many farmworkers won’t qualify for federal cash assistance because they are undocumented.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said some people could receive help through local partnerships using the state’s Rapid Response Fund. The state has not announced which local partners it was funding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State officials said they are bolstering infrastructure, such as levees and canals, and \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/cal_oes/status/1646612910494613508?s=46&t=pV4TRXLqzax8nmQ5Vj0zTg\">raising some roads\u003c/a> while coordinating with agencies to help people cope with floods and prepare for possible evacuations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brian Ferguson, spokesperson for the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, said state officials have been meeting with emergency managers for each affected region, coordinating area-specific evacuation plans and flood prevention measures, trying to get everyone on the same page.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re paying particular attention to the Tulare basin because there’s already so much water in the system and that’s where the snowpack is really concentrated,” he said. “Humans, in many cases, are the hardest part of any disaster to control.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of the country’s biggest farms operate in this region. Tulare, Kern and Kings counties are top-producing dairy counties in the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://calmatters-tulare-lake-dairies.netlify.app/#amp=1\" width=\"800\" height=\"700\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Tulare Lake basin’s vast farmland had suffered a severe drought, like most of California. Now floodwaters envelope it, looking like an inland sea when winds whip waves over swallowed houses, farms and rural Highway 43.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly all of the four rivers, countless creeks and \u003ca href=\"https://www.csustan.edu/sites/default/files/groups/Geography/Images/tulare2cj.pdf\">thousands of miles of canals linked to Tulare Lake (PDF)\u003c/a> are swollen and at capacity. The valley ground has soaked up so much water that every passing rainstorm floods yards and asphalt roads, even in urban centers like Bakersfield and Fresno.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11946963\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 728px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.37.16-PM.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11946963\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.37.16-PM.png\" alt=\"A flooded road.\" width=\"728\" height=\"468\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.37.16-PM.png 728w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.37.16-PM-160x103.png 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 728px) 100vw, 728px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dairy Avenue flooded with water near Hansen Ranches south of Corcoran, on March 22, 2023. \u003ccite>(Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters/CatchLight Local)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s a very important reminder that California is not well-equipped to handle these extreme wet-weather events,” said Tricia Stever Blattler, executive director of the Tulare County Farm Bureau. “The message that we would like our California Legislature to hear is it’s never too soon to make better investments in infrastructure.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Biden \u003ca href=\"https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4699\">administration declared California’s second major disaster of the year\u003c/a> on April 3, deploying the Federal Emergency Management Agency and allowing several counties, including Tulare and Kern, to apply for additional federal assistance. Because of the declaration, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/CAFSP/CalFresh/CalFresh_Disaster/D-CF-PlanApproval.pdf\">families and residents in seven counties can apply for Disaster CalFresh food benefits (PDF)\u003c/a>, the state announced Friday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though Kings County had 47,000 acres of farmland flooded, according to the California Farm Bureau’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.agalert.com/california-ag-news/archives/april-5-2023/farmers-brace-for-more-destruction-losses-from-floods/\">online publication\u003c/a>, that county was not included in the latest emergency declaration. State officials said it could be added later. Kings County officials told The Fresno Bee that \u003ca href=\"https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article273965735.html\">flooding will ruin 41% of the county’s $2.43 billion crop value\u003c/a> and cause another $1 billion in damages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/3.28.23-Major-Disaster-Declaration-request.pdf?emrc=c00780\">California’s request for the declaration (PDF)\u003c/a>, Newsom’s office estimated $60 million in agricultural losses in Tulare County and $70 million in Kern Counties alone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California dairy industry leaders say their losses are going to be much larger. Western United Dairies CEO Anja Raudabaugh said their network is bracing for $20 billion in losses and long-term supply chain disruptions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to evacuation costs and property damage, dairy farmers are estimating millions of dollars in losses from silage they had stored and crops they were growing to feed their cows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If there is not enough feed, she said, farmers might have to start culling cows and shrinking their dairy operations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Already 75,000 cows and 15 large dairies have moved due to flooding. With major dairy processing centers like Tulare County impacted, the economic loss could be staggering, Raudabaugh said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s not a single dairy that could have envisioned this type of catastrophe,” she said. “This was an unmitigated disaster. I don’t know how to plan for a river. It’s a nightmare.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Add to that the brief closure of the Lactalis Heritage Dairy Kraft Foods plant, which processes some of the Tulare region’s dairy products. Its damage and floodwaters were visible from Highway 99.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than half of California’s farmworkers, about 200,000, live in the Central Valley. Thousands are losing work and wages. Several towns and rural communities of color also are struggling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The reality is the Central Valley has a lot of front-line communities that have borne the impacts of climate and weather extremes, whether it’s drought, smoke, flood,” said John Abatzoglou, climatology professor at the University of California, Merced. “Unfortunately, they have not had the resources to prepare for these extreme events, and that’s why they’re vulnerable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Preparing for snowmelt and ‘water jiujitsu’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Several regions could experience higher-than-usual flood risk from snowmelt, experts said, but the Tulare Basin’s reservoirs are smaller than the central and northern Sierra reservoirs so they hold much less water, Abatzoglou said. It’s an unfortunate mismatch with the high \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/newsletters/whatmatters/2023/04/california-gun-laws-seizures/\">snowpack in the southern Sierra\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite intermittent flooding over the years, the region’s levees, canals and dams may not be able to handle such large and rapid water flows, experts said. Floodwaters in some areas are \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2023/02/california-depleted-groundwater-storms/\">not sinking into the ground\u003c/a>, recharging underground water stores.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We just don’t have the systems in play to put water in places where you can really get a lot of groundwater recharge while minimizing the impacts to communities and agriculture,” Abatzoglou said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think a year like this, hopefully, will be a catalyst for the state to find ways to be more resilient to climate variability and the extremes of climate change — because this is not likely to be the last rodeo that we’re gonna go through.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ferguson, the state emergency services spokesperson, said the current break in storms is giving emergency management officials a rare chance to prepare for the possible coming disaster.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They are assessing potential toxic hazards from agricultural or oil sites in the flood path, he said, so they can prevent contaminating nearby farmland or waterways. For example, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/local-news/2023-04-07/compost-facility-holding-human-waste-in-cross-hairs-of-tulare-lake-flooding\">officials may build a dam around a waste treatment plant run\u003c/a> by the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts in Kings County, according to a KVPR news report.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’re also reaching out to underserved communities to help people access emergency information in their dominant languages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And state officials are working with local water managers and county emergency personnel, planning for worst-case scenarios, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It may be that this water is not such that there are enough sandbags, or you can’t physically stop it,” Ferguson said. “You might be doing water jiujitsu to move it, to flow with it, as opposed to trying to physically stop it … to move it in the smartest possible way to keep as many people safe as possible.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That may involve finagling a compromise from local agencies and land owners who have been working at cross purposes. In Kings, Kern and Tulare counties decisions about handling floodwaters have devolved into local tugs-of-war, with individual farmers influencing where waters go.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a local conflict that made national headlines, the historic Black town of Allensworth, nearby Alpaugh, and farmers along the Tulare Lake bed were flooded after a large landowner refused to allow his property to flood. As Allensworth residents pleaded for official intervention and scrambled to save their community, SJV Water, a nonprofit newsroom, reported that \u003ca href=\"https://sjvwater.org/poso-creek-water-ends-standoff-with-powerful-the-j-g-boswell-when-it-busts-through-berms-heads-north/\">the landowner had placed heavy farming equipment in the way of a water manager’s efforts to use the farmer’s private canal\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The creek recently burst into the canal anyway, after it also overflowed a bridge and a road.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State officials have been coordinating with local emergency forces to shore up levees and distribute sandbags.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although state officials are exploring options for taking a more active role in managing floodwaters, local authorities have the jurisdiction to determine where floodwaters go, said Karla Nemeth, director of the Department of Water Resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Several communities in southern San Joaquin Valley had opted out of the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan, so the ultimate authority over where water goes — and whose property floods — can reside with county officials, small flood districts and even individual property owners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At the moment all of those issues need to be addressed at the local level,” Nemeth said. “We are checking into our state authorities on flood management kinds of decisions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The governor’s office recently issued an executive order that temporarily waives several state codes related to environmental protections around the Tulare Lake basin. But the order doesn’t allow state officials to step in and arbitrate these conflicts, a governor’s spokesperson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Dairies stay on high alert\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Goni family has begun rebuilding their dairy. Their employees and cows are back and production is slowly restarting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not everyone has been able to recover. Some dairies and farmland in the Corcoran area still are covered with water. Raudabaugh said two large dairies have closed or relocated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Coordination among local and state emergency resources has improved since those first two weeks, when industry leaders were fielding panicked calls from farmers, Raudabaugh said. She said she hopes they’ll be ready for the next round of flooding when the snowpack melts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11946965\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.37.39-PM.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11946965\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.37.39-PM-800x533.png\" alt=\"A white man wearing a dark hat and a brown jacket stands near a field and body of water.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.37.39-PM-800x533.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.37.39-PM-1020x679.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.37.39-PM-160x107.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.37.39-PM-1536x1023.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.37.39-PM.png 1538w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Stephen Mancebo stands near a canal by his farmland in Tulare County on March 23, 2023. \u003ccite>(Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters/CatchLight Local)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Stephen Mancebo, a relative of Goni’s whose dairy is a few miles down the road, was among those who rushed to help Goni and hosted some of his cows. He said the lack of infrastructure exacerbated the disaster.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we could have put more water storage in place, bigger and better infrastructure, more sinking basins, when we got this flood it wouldn’t have been near as bad to those guys on the west side,” said Mancebo, a board member of the Land O’ Lakes dairy co-op.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve avoided putting money into infrastructure. And I know the governor and nobody else wants to hear that, because they really like showing up to be the hero, and it’s more reactive than proactive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mancebo had to make other quick decisions that week. The canal linked to Lake Kaweah crossing his property began overflowing into fields where he grew winter wheat for his dairy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many farmers and residents, rushing to protect their property, built berms to keep the water out. He knew if he did that, too, the water would have flooded another dairy down the road and some neighboring homes. His dairy was safe on higher ground, but he didn’t try to stop the water from flooding his fields.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Standing on the banks of the Tule River and later the ditch outside his own dairy in late March, Mancebo pointed out where the river burst through the levee protecting Goni’s dairy and had ripped out large metal drainage pipes, and where water had flooded his own fields, leaving a layer of silt and debris.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Debris could clog the canal where it flows under the road, he said, and could cause flooding risks over the next few months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everybody is just going to have to stay on high alert,“ he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A “domino effect” of damage to dairies and farmers has already begun, he said, with owners laying off workers because they have no work for them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s why I have a really hard time talking about this or feeling sorry for a couple hundred acres, you know?” Mancebo said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Getting financial help to farm laborers could be a challenge. Dairies employ higher numbers of undocumented workers than other agricultural industries, which hire workers from a federal visa program for seasonal workers. Dairies operate year-round.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A Cutler resident shovel mud off his driveway in Cutler on March 12, 2023. The area was recently flooded after the levee in the area was breached during a series of storms that hit the Central Valley.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘We couldn’t save anything’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Small communities in the Central Valley, especially on the eastern edge of Tulare County near the mountains, have flooded repeatedly this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Cutler and Orosi, two towns in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/local-news/2023-03-16/131-homes-affected-by-flooding-at-a-small-tulare-county-community-help-is-available\">more than 131 homes flooded in mid-March\u003c/a>, after water breached an overwhelmed canal in eight places and left many homes uninhabitable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Weeks after his home in Cutler flooded, Victor Cabrera said he still didn’t have heat or hot water. He was able to use a space heater by running an electrical cord from a neighbor’s house on higher ground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The house next to Cabrera sustained so much damage it was condemned, and his neighbors were forced to relocate, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s been rough on us,” Cabrera said, referring to his neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of the hardest-hit families in Cutler lived in the Tulare County Housing Authority homes near a flooded canal. Residents pleaded for help at \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8f6EpqzvVbE\">a recent Tulare County Board of Supervisors meeting\u003c/a>, saying the destruction left behind was unsafe for children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Juanita Martinez cried during her testimony, saying her 9-year-old son fears the canal would break again if they return home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We couldn’t save anything,” she said during the meeting. “I’m in tears. I’m frustrated. I don’t know what to do anymore.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The housing authority transferred Martinez’s family to a home in Dinuba, but she told CalMatters her application for federal disaster aid was rejected. Many families who don’t qualify for aid still need help, she said; plus, who is going to fix the canal?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t want the money,” Martinez said. “We just want the canal fixed. We’re afraid it’s going to happen again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11946967\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.38.08-PM.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11946967\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.38.08-PM-800x528.png\" alt=\"A woman holds a broom while looking at a room with chairs and other materials stacked up.\" width=\"800\" height=\"528\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.38.08-PM-800x528.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.38.08-PM-1020x673.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.38.08-PM-160x106.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.38.08-PM-1536x1014.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.38.08-PM-2048x1352.png 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.38.08-PM-1920x1268.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Christina Cabrera cleaning out the water and mud in her family home after a series of storms on March 12, 2023. Cabrera, who shares the home with her brother Victor Cabrera, said that the home has been in her family for decades and hopes to salvage it. \u003ccite>(Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters/CatchLight Local)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "After weeks of rain, the long-dry Tulare Lake is rising from the San Joaquin Valley floor, endangering farms, towns, livelihoods. Now record snow on the Sierra Nevada is melting. Will the Central Valley be ready?",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1738793937,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": true,
"iframeSrcs": [
"https://calmatters-tulare-lake-dairies.netlify.app/#amp=1"
],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 75,
"wordCount": 3001
},
"headData": {
"title": "‘It’s a Nightmare’: Dairy Farmers Struggle to Bounce Back From Record Floods | KQED",
"description": "After weeks of rain, the long-dry Tulare Lake is rising from the San Joaquin Valley floor, endangering farms, towns, livelihoods. Now record snow on the Sierra Nevada is melting. Will the Central Valley be ready?",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "‘It’s a Nightmare’: Dairy Farmers Struggle to Bounce Back From Record Floods",
"datePublished": "2023-04-17T16:43:23-07:00",
"dateModified": "2025-02-05T14:18:57-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"source": "CalMatters",
"sourceUrl": "https://calmatters.org",
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/nicole-foy/\">Nicole Foy\u003c/a>",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/11946922/its-a-nightmare-dairy-farmers-struggle-to-bounce-back-from-record-floods",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Floodwaters from an overflowing Lake Success reached the Tule River next to Joseph Goni’s Tulare family dairy on March 15, in the middle of the night, much faster than he had expected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Goni and his fiancee woke up, the water was at their front door. By the time his sister and brother-in-law, who also lived on the farm, pulled their children out of their home in pajamas, 2 to 3 feet of water was rushing everywhere, impossible to stop.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Goni choked up recently as he and Roberto Martinez, a 30-year employee, recounted how floodwaters nearly washed away the dairy three generations of his family had built.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11946960\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.03-PM.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11946960\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.03-PM-800x529.png\" alt=\"Empty cow stalls on a farm.\" width=\"800\" height=\"529\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.03-PM-800x529.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.03-PM-1020x674.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.03-PM-160x106.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.03-PM.png 1120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Empty cow stalls on Lerda-Goni Farms outside Tulare on March 23, 2023. The stalls were emptied after floodwater submerged the farm after a series of storms. \u003ccite>(Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters/CatchLight Local)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It started with us,” Goni said of the gushing water. “Then we started hearing about it moving toward Corcoran. And it was just one dairy after the other, after the other.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "‘This was an unmitigated disaster. I don’t know how to plan for a river. It’s a nightmare.’",
"name": "pullquote",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"size": "medium",
"align": "right",
"citation": "Anja Raudabaugh, CEO, Western United Dairies",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Over 72 hours, Goni, Martinez and dozens of neighbors and livestock haulers who arrived with trucks and trailers frantically herded some 2,400 cows and heifers into trailers in the dark. Even with weeks of planning, moving a few hundred head would have been difficult; moving this many in floodwaters was a nightmare, the men said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11946961\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.12-PM.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11946961\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.12-PM-800x531.png\" alt=\"A man wearing a beige shirt, dark long sleeve shirt and suspenders stands in a empty cow stall.\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.12-PM-800x531.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.12-PM-1020x677.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.12-PM-160x106.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.12-PM.png 1124w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Roberto Martinez, a long-time employee of Lerda-Goni Farms, stands in the empty cow stalls on the farm on March 23, 2023. \u003ccite>(Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters/CatchLight Local)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The cows went to six area dairies that were on safer ground, and Goni said he was overwhelmed by his community’s support. Goni remembers joking he would understand if workers left.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have to fight,” Martinez said, adding that Goni’s father, who died last year, would have wanted them to. “We can’t lose everything because of this week.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thousands of San Joaquin Valley farmers, workers and residents are coping with acres of floodwaters and muck, tallying the damage. One industry official estimated $20 billion in losses for \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/Statistics/PDFs/2022_Ag_Stats_Review.pdf\">dairy, California’s No. 1 agricultural industry (PDF)\u003c/a>, generating $7 billion in revenue statewide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some who lost homes also fear losing weeks or months of income. After months of atmospheric rivers, storms and record floods, the long-dry Tulare Lake is rising again from the San Joaquin Valley floor. It will be fed, experts said, by a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2023/03/california-storm-reservoirs-flooding/\">historic snowpack\u003c/a> melting in the Sierra Nevada.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Will California be ready?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11946962\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.22-PM.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11946962\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.22-PM-800x528.png\" alt=\"Pieces of a drainage pipe in a large body of water.\" width=\"800\" height=\"528\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.22-PM-800x528.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.22-PM-1020x673.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.22-PM-160x106.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.22-PM-1536x1013.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.26.22-PM.png 1540w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pieces of canal drainage pipes that were swept away down the canal after a flood hit the area on March 23, 2023. \u003ccite>(Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters/CatchLight Local)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>So far, the track record for state and local emergency response has been mixed, especially in the San Joaquin Valley, where local agencies have struggled to mediate conflicts between landowners and flooded communities, and where state officials have yet to clarify their oversight role.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Farmers, workers and residents in several flooded communities complained that it took weeks for the state to gain federal help through a disaster designation. Even with that, many farmworkers won’t qualify for federal cash assistance because they are undocumented.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said some people could receive help through local partnerships using the state’s Rapid Response Fund. The state has not announced which local partners it was funding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State officials said they are bolstering infrastructure, such as levees and canals, and \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/cal_oes/status/1646612910494613508?s=46&t=pV4TRXLqzax8nmQ5Vj0zTg\">raising some roads\u003c/a> while coordinating with agencies to help people cope with floods and prepare for possible evacuations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brian Ferguson, spokesperson for the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, said state officials have been meeting with emergency managers for each affected region, coordinating area-specific evacuation plans and flood prevention measures, trying to get everyone on the same page.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re paying particular attention to the Tulare basin because there’s already so much water in the system and that’s where the snowpack is really concentrated,” he said. “Humans, in many cases, are the hardest part of any disaster to control.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of the country’s biggest farms operate in this region. Tulare, Kern and Kings counties are top-producing dairy counties in the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://calmatters-tulare-lake-dairies.netlify.app/#amp=1\" width=\"800\" height=\"700\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Tulare Lake basin’s vast farmland had suffered a severe drought, like most of California. Now floodwaters envelope it, looking like an inland sea when winds whip waves over swallowed houses, farms and rural Highway 43.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly all of the four rivers, countless creeks and \u003ca href=\"https://www.csustan.edu/sites/default/files/groups/Geography/Images/tulare2cj.pdf\">thousands of miles of canals linked to Tulare Lake (PDF)\u003c/a> are swollen and at capacity. The valley ground has soaked up so much water that every passing rainstorm floods yards and asphalt roads, even in urban centers like Bakersfield and Fresno.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11946963\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 728px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.37.16-PM.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11946963\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.37.16-PM.png\" alt=\"A flooded road.\" width=\"728\" height=\"468\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.37.16-PM.png 728w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.37.16-PM-160x103.png 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 728px) 100vw, 728px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dairy Avenue flooded with water near Hansen Ranches south of Corcoran, on March 22, 2023. \u003ccite>(Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters/CatchLight Local)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s a very important reminder that California is not well-equipped to handle these extreme wet-weather events,” said Tricia Stever Blattler, executive director of the Tulare County Farm Bureau. “The message that we would like our California Legislature to hear is it’s never too soon to make better investments in infrastructure.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Biden \u003ca href=\"https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4699\">administration declared California’s second major disaster of the year\u003c/a> on April 3, deploying the Federal Emergency Management Agency and allowing several counties, including Tulare and Kern, to apply for additional federal assistance. Because of the declaration, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/CAFSP/CalFresh/CalFresh_Disaster/D-CF-PlanApproval.pdf\">families and residents in seven counties can apply for Disaster CalFresh food benefits (PDF)\u003c/a>, the state announced Friday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though Kings County had 47,000 acres of farmland flooded, according to the California Farm Bureau’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.agalert.com/california-ag-news/archives/april-5-2023/farmers-brace-for-more-destruction-losses-from-floods/\">online publication\u003c/a>, that county was not included in the latest emergency declaration. State officials said it could be added later. Kings County officials told The Fresno Bee that \u003ca href=\"https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article273965735.html\">flooding will ruin 41% of the county’s $2.43 billion crop value\u003c/a> and cause another $1 billion in damages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/3.28.23-Major-Disaster-Declaration-request.pdf?emrc=c00780\">California’s request for the declaration (PDF)\u003c/a>, Newsom’s office estimated $60 million in agricultural losses in Tulare County and $70 million in Kern Counties alone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California dairy industry leaders say their losses are going to be much larger. Western United Dairies CEO Anja Raudabaugh said their network is bracing for $20 billion in losses and long-term supply chain disruptions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to evacuation costs and property damage, dairy farmers are estimating millions of dollars in losses from silage they had stored and crops they were growing to feed their cows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If there is not enough feed, she said, farmers might have to start culling cows and shrinking their dairy operations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Already 75,000 cows and 15 large dairies have moved due to flooding. With major dairy processing centers like Tulare County impacted, the economic loss could be staggering, Raudabaugh said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s not a single dairy that could have envisioned this type of catastrophe,” she said. “This was an unmitigated disaster. I don’t know how to plan for a river. It’s a nightmare.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Add to that the brief closure of the Lactalis Heritage Dairy Kraft Foods plant, which processes some of the Tulare region’s dairy products. Its damage and floodwaters were visible from Highway 99.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than half of California’s farmworkers, about 200,000, live in the Central Valley. Thousands are losing work and wages. Several towns and rural communities of color also are struggling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The reality is the Central Valley has a lot of front-line communities that have borne the impacts of climate and weather extremes, whether it’s drought, smoke, flood,” said John Abatzoglou, climatology professor at the University of California, Merced. “Unfortunately, they have not had the resources to prepare for these extreme events, and that’s why they’re vulnerable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Preparing for snowmelt and ‘water jiujitsu’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Several regions could experience higher-than-usual flood risk from snowmelt, experts said, but the Tulare Basin’s reservoirs are smaller than the central and northern Sierra reservoirs so they hold much less water, Abatzoglou said. It’s an unfortunate mismatch with the high \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/newsletters/whatmatters/2023/04/california-gun-laws-seizures/\">snowpack in the southern Sierra\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite intermittent flooding over the years, the region’s levees, canals and dams may not be able to handle such large and rapid water flows, experts said. Floodwaters in some areas are \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2023/02/california-depleted-groundwater-storms/\">not sinking into the ground\u003c/a>, recharging underground water stores.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We just don’t have the systems in play to put water in places where you can really get a lot of groundwater recharge while minimizing the impacts to communities and agriculture,” Abatzoglou said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think a year like this, hopefully, will be a catalyst for the state to find ways to be more resilient to climate variability and the extremes of climate change — because this is not likely to be the last rodeo that we’re gonna go through.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ferguson, the state emergency services spokesperson, said the current break in storms is giving emergency management officials a rare chance to prepare for the possible coming disaster.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They are assessing potential toxic hazards from agricultural or oil sites in the flood path, he said, so they can prevent contaminating nearby farmland or waterways. For example, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/local-news/2023-04-07/compost-facility-holding-human-waste-in-cross-hairs-of-tulare-lake-flooding\">officials may build a dam around a waste treatment plant run\u003c/a> by the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts in Kings County, according to a KVPR news report.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’re also reaching out to underserved communities to help people access emergency information in their dominant languages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And state officials are working with local water managers and county emergency personnel, planning for worst-case scenarios, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It may be that this water is not such that there are enough sandbags, or you can’t physically stop it,” Ferguson said. “You might be doing water jiujitsu to move it, to flow with it, as opposed to trying to physically stop it … to move it in the smartest possible way to keep as many people safe as possible.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That may involve finagling a compromise from local agencies and land owners who have been working at cross purposes. In Kings, Kern and Tulare counties decisions about handling floodwaters have devolved into local tugs-of-war, with individual farmers influencing where waters go.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a local conflict that made national headlines, the historic Black town of Allensworth, nearby Alpaugh, and farmers along the Tulare Lake bed were flooded after a large landowner refused to allow his property to flood. As Allensworth residents pleaded for official intervention and scrambled to save their community, SJV Water, a nonprofit newsroom, reported that \u003ca href=\"https://sjvwater.org/poso-creek-water-ends-standoff-with-powerful-the-j-g-boswell-when-it-busts-through-berms-heads-north/\">the landowner had placed heavy farming equipment in the way of a water manager’s efforts to use the farmer’s private canal\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The creek recently burst into the canal anyway, after it also overflowed a bridge and a road.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State officials have been coordinating with local emergency forces to shore up levees and distribute sandbags.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although state officials are exploring options for taking a more active role in managing floodwaters, local authorities have the jurisdiction to determine where floodwaters go, said Karla Nemeth, director of the Department of Water Resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Several communities in southern San Joaquin Valley had opted out of the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan, so the ultimate authority over where water goes — and whose property floods — can reside with county officials, small flood districts and even individual property owners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At the moment all of those issues need to be addressed at the local level,” Nemeth said. “We are checking into our state authorities on flood management kinds of decisions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The governor’s office recently issued an executive order that temporarily waives several state codes related to environmental protections around the Tulare Lake basin. But the order doesn’t allow state officials to step in and arbitrate these conflicts, a governor’s spokesperson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Dairies stay on high alert\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Goni family has begun rebuilding their dairy. Their employees and cows are back and production is slowly restarting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not everyone has been able to recover. Some dairies and farmland in the Corcoran area still are covered with water. Raudabaugh said two large dairies have closed or relocated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Coordination among local and state emergency resources has improved since those first two weeks, when industry leaders were fielding panicked calls from farmers, Raudabaugh said. She said she hopes they’ll be ready for the next round of flooding when the snowpack melts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11946965\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.37.39-PM.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11946965\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.37.39-PM-800x533.png\" alt=\"A white man wearing a dark hat and a brown jacket stands near a field and body of water.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.37.39-PM-800x533.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.37.39-PM-1020x679.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.37.39-PM-160x107.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.37.39-PM-1536x1023.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.37.39-PM.png 1538w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Stephen Mancebo stands near a canal by his farmland in Tulare County on March 23, 2023. \u003ccite>(Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters/CatchLight Local)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Stephen Mancebo, a relative of Goni’s whose dairy is a few miles down the road, was among those who rushed to help Goni and hosted some of his cows. He said the lack of infrastructure exacerbated the disaster.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we could have put more water storage in place, bigger and better infrastructure, more sinking basins, when we got this flood it wouldn’t have been near as bad to those guys on the west side,” said Mancebo, a board member of the Land O’ Lakes dairy co-op.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve avoided putting money into infrastructure. And I know the governor and nobody else wants to hear that, because they really like showing up to be the hero, and it’s more reactive than proactive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mancebo had to make other quick decisions that week. The canal linked to Lake Kaweah crossing his property began overflowing into fields where he grew winter wheat for his dairy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many farmers and residents, rushing to protect their property, built berms to keep the water out. He knew if he did that, too, the water would have flooded another dairy down the road and some neighboring homes. His dairy was safe on higher ground, but he didn’t try to stop the water from flooding his fields.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Standing on the banks of the Tule River and later the ditch outside his own dairy in late March, Mancebo pointed out where the river burst through the levee protecting Goni’s dairy and had ripped out large metal drainage pipes, and where water had flooded his own fields, leaving a layer of silt and debris.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Debris could clog the canal where it flows under the road, he said, and could cause flooding risks over the next few months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everybody is just going to have to stay on high alert,“ he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A “domino effect” of damage to dairies and farmers has already begun, he said, with owners laying off workers because they have no work for them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s why I have a really hard time talking about this or feeling sorry for a couple hundred acres, you know?” Mancebo said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Getting financial help to farm laborers could be a challenge. Dairies employ higher numbers of undocumented workers than other agricultural industries, which hire workers from a federal visa program for seasonal workers. Dairies operate year-round.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A Cutler resident shovel mud off his driveway in Cutler on March 12, 2023. The area was recently flooded after the levee in the area was breached during a series of storms that hit the Central Valley.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘We couldn’t save anything’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Small communities in the Central Valley, especially on the eastern edge of Tulare County near the mountains, have flooded repeatedly this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Cutler and Orosi, two towns in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/local-news/2023-03-16/131-homes-affected-by-flooding-at-a-small-tulare-county-community-help-is-available\">more than 131 homes flooded in mid-March\u003c/a>, after water breached an overwhelmed canal in eight places and left many homes uninhabitable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Weeks after his home in Cutler flooded, Victor Cabrera said he still didn’t have heat or hot water. He was able to use a space heater by running an electrical cord from a neighbor’s house on higher ground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The house next to Cabrera sustained so much damage it was condemned, and his neighbors were forced to relocate, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s been rough on us,” Cabrera said, referring to his neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of the hardest-hit families in Cutler lived in the Tulare County Housing Authority homes near a flooded canal. Residents pleaded for help at \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8f6EpqzvVbE\">a recent Tulare County Board of Supervisors meeting\u003c/a>, saying the destruction left behind was unsafe for children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Juanita Martinez cried during her testimony, saying her 9-year-old son fears the canal would break again if they return home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We couldn’t save anything,” she said during the meeting. “I’m in tears. I’m frustrated. I don’t know what to do anymore.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The housing authority transferred Martinez’s family to a home in Dinuba, but she told CalMatters her application for federal disaster aid was rejected. Many families who don’t qualify for aid still need help, she said; plus, who is going to fix the canal?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t want the money,” Martinez said. “We just want the canal fixed. We’re afraid it’s going to happen again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11946967\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.38.08-PM.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11946967\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.38.08-PM-800x528.png\" alt=\"A woman holds a broom while looking at a room with chairs and other materials stacked up.\" width=\"800\" height=\"528\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.38.08-PM-800x528.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.38.08-PM-1020x673.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.38.08-PM-160x106.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.38.08-PM-1536x1014.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.38.08-PM-2048x1352.png 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-17-at-12.38.08-PM-1920x1268.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Christina Cabrera cleaning out the water and mud in her family home after a series of storms on March 12, 2023. Cabrera, who shares the home with her brother Victor Cabrera, said that the home has been in her family for decades and hopes to salvage it. \u003ccite>(Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters/CatchLight Local)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/11946922/its-a-nightmare-dairy-farmers-struggle-to-bounce-back-from-record-floods",
"authors": [
"byline_news_11946922"
],
"categories": [
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_18163",
"news_3431"
],
"affiliates": [
"news_18481"
],
"featImg": "news_11946959",
"label": "source_news_11946922"
},
"news_11945113": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11945113",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11945113",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1680138008000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "we-are-in-big-trouble-newsom-cuts-40-million-meant-to-restore-floodplains-near-vulnerable-san-joaquin-valley",
"title": "'We Are in Big Trouble': Newsom Cuts $40 Million Meant to Restore Floodplains Near Vulnerable San Joaquin Valley",
"publishDate": 1680138008,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "‘We Are in Big Trouble’: Newsom Cuts $40 Million Meant to Restore Floodplains Near Vulnerable San Joaquin Valley | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"term": 18481,
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>[dropcap]L[/dropcap]ast fall, when the state Legislature authorized $40 million for floodplain restoration, Julie Rentner knew just what she would do with it. Her group, River Partners, would spend more than a quarter of the funds buying a 500-acre dairy farm abutting the San Joaquin River in Stanislaus County.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then millions more would be spent on removing debris, sheds, manure heaps and levees. They would plant native vegetation, and eventually restore the parcel to its natural state as a woodland and floodplain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When floodplains like these are allowed to fill with water, they can reduce flooding impacts elsewhere along the river, so the project could protect communities downstream, including Stockton, which is highly vulnerable to flooding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rentner said crews of community members were ready to begin the work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in January, the money disappeared.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a move that upset and baffled local leaders, conservationists and floodplain advocates, Gov. Gavin Newsom, in his \u003ca href=\"https://ebudget.ca.gov/2023-24/pdf/BudgetSummary/FullBudgetSummary.pdf\">2023–24 budget proposal (PDF)\u003c/a>, eliminated all $40 million that had been allocated for San Joaquin Valley floodplain restoration this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year’s floods have highlighted the need for improved — and more equitably distributed — flood protection efforts throughout California. Restoring floodplains, many experts agree, is one of the most cost-effective ways to protect communities from flooding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Joaquin Valley lawmakers of both parties and local leaders say Newsom’s budget cut could endanger their communities, and that it signals a disparity in how the state distributes funding for flood protection. San Joaquin Valley communities vulnerable to flooding are largely home to underserved, lower-income Latino people.[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"State Sen. Susan Eggman\"]‘It is imperative that the Legislature reject the proposed $40 million cut for San Joaquin Valley floodplain restoration.’[/pullquote]Sen. Susan Eggman, a Stockton Democrat, said this winter’s storms “underscore the need for significant new investments for flood protection.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is imperative that the Legislature reject the proposed $40 million cut for San Joaquin Valley floodplain restoration,” she said in an email to CalMatters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To former \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/legislator-tracker/adam-gray-1977/\">Assemblymember Adam Gray\u003c/a>, who rallied for floodplain restoration work in the valley, the governor’s proposed $40 million cut demonstrates\u003cem> \u003c/em>inequality in how the state distributes assistance. Gray and several lawmakers said the Central Valley’s lower-income, marginalized communities often get cut first.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When money gets dedicated to our region, some of the other regions don’t mind taking from us,” said Gray, a Democrat from Merced who served in the Assembly from 2012 through 2022.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11945164\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11945164\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/032423-STOCKTON-LEVEES-MHN-06-CM.jpg\" alt=\"Tents and other belongings are pictured next to an overflow of water near a small bridge. A city is pictured in the background.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/032423-STOCKTON-LEVEES-MHN-06-CM.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/032423-STOCKTON-LEVEES-MHN-06-CM-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/032423-STOCKTON-LEVEES-MHN-06-CM-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/032423-STOCKTON-LEVEES-MHN-06-CM-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Stockton faces a severe risk of flooding. Mormon Slough, shown here on March 24, 2023, is located near downtown Stockton. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s unclear what effect the funding cut will have on future flooding in Stockton and the rest of the San Joaquin Valley. But Rentner said if the dairy farm project had gone as planned, the land could have been partially restored already, absorbing floodwaters and potentially lessening impacts along the river in Stockton.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It remains to be seen if the funding cut will be included in the May \u003ca href=\"https://ebudget.ca.gov/\">revised budget\u003c/a> and signed into law in the budget this summer. But California Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot told CalMatters that the governor’s proposed budget, for now, renders all of the floodplain money unavailable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to the project in Stanislaus County, nine other projects for restoring 2,400 acres along the San Joaquin River had been slated to begin, with their $13 million in funding now in limbo, Rentner said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These projects were shovel-ready,” Rentner said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Restoring a floodplain typically involves removing, lowering or setting back levees to allow swollen rivers to expand laterally onto uninhabited land. This reduces pressure on levees elsewhere, lessening the chances that they’ll rupture. Most of California’s historic floodplains have been separated from rivers by levees and converted to agriculture.[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Josh Viers, professor of water resource management, UC Merced\"]‘Setting levees back gives the river room to roam.’[/pullquote]“Levees effectively straitjacket the river and either push floodwaters downstream to unprotected communities or actually bottleneck a river and cause flooding upstream,” said Josh Viers, a professor of water resource management at UC Merced who has studied floodplains for more than 20 years. “Setting levees back gives the river room to roam.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As scientists, environmentalists and legislators recognize the benefits of floodplains, interest in restoring them has grown across party lines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Floodplains also offer seasonal foraging ground for juvenile salmon and nesting grounds for waterfowl. And they can help recharge the San Joaquin Valley’s depleted groundwater basins.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Nowhere for that water to go’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Mike Machado, a farmer near Linden who served in the State Assembly and Senate for 14 years, until 2008, said the governor’s proposal is one of many examples of the state choosing to fund flood protection projects for wealthy regions but not for poorer ones like the San Joaquin Valley.[aside label='More California Flood Coverage' tag='flood']“They conduct cost-benefit analyses to determine if the value of what they’re protecting is greater than the cost of protecting it,” Machado said. “In places like Pajaro and low-lying areas of San Joaquin County, the value of lives seems to be discounted to the value of economic wealth.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier this month, the rising Pajaro River broke through an \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-03-12/authorities-knew-the-levee-could-fail\">aging levee\u003c/a> that provides inadequate protection to the Monterey County \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-03-20/a-long-history-of-racism-set-the-stage-for-pajaro-flooding\">town of Pajaro\u003c/a>, forcing about 3,000 residents — largely Latino farmworkers — to evacuate and damaging about 900 homes and buildings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Republican \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/legislator-tracker/heath-flora-1983/\">Assemblymember Heath Flora\u003c/a>, whose district includes the northern San Joaquin Valley, said the shortage of floodplain acreage along the San Joaquin River increases the region’s vulnerability to flooding. He said the near-record Sierra Nevada snowpack, when it melts, could cause even more flooding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we get a warm spring, we are in big trouble,” Flora said. “We have nowhere for that water to go, and it’s coming, whether we like it or not.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Flora said “it’s hard to understand” why the governor cut floodplain funds that have bipartisan support and could provide an array of benefits — not just for flood control but also creating new greenspaces and recreation opportunities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The low-income, underserved communities that the governor likes to talk about … this is their backyard, and so it’s interesting that we say we care about these people but inevitably the projects that affect them the most seem to be the first to get cut,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“To have [the floodplains funding] stripped away is incredibly frustrating.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11945150\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1125px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11945150\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS3305_delta120111.jpg\" alt=\"A dark green river curves along lush, green farmland.\" width=\"1125\" height=\"750\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS3305_delta120111.jpg 1125w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS3305_delta120111-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS3305_delta120111-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS3305_delta120111-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1125px) 100vw, 1125px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The San Joaquin-Sacramento River Valley Delta. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Department of Water Resources)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Rentner of River Partners said the sooner the state spends the money in the San Joaquin Valley, the better.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s really a fractional downpayment on improvements that we would have reaped the benefits of — even this year,” Rentner said. “If we don’t pay now, we’re going to have to pay a lot more later.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Explaining why the funding was cut, Crowfoot said the state in recent years enjoyed a budget surplus, allowing for “historic investments … in these multi-benefit floodplain investments.” But Newsom estimated in January that \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/california-budget/2023/01/california-budget-newsom-deficit/\">California is facing a budget deficit of about $22.5 billion\u003c/a>.[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Assemblymember Heath Flora\"]‘If we get a warm spring, we are in big trouble. We have nowhere for that water to go, and it’s coming, whether we like it or not.’[/pullquote]“Then fiscal conditions changed quite rapidly and we found ourselves having to make cuts, and that’s not easy because we’re cutting priorities that we acknowledge to be priorities, which is why we funded them in the first place,” Crowfoot said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This does not represent a change or diminishment of our long-term priority to significantly expand floodplains in the San Joaquin Valley and beyond,” Crowfoot said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The $40 million may be restored in the next budget cycle, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If fiscal conditions improve, and the general fund improves, it will be automatically restored,” he said. This could happen by what’s referred to as a fiscal trigger process, though it wouldn’t be until January.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom’s office did not respond to questions about his cuts to floodplain funding.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A tale of two valleys\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Officials say vast differences in flood control infrastructure in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys illustrate the unequal investments in the two regions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Along the Sacramento River, the vast Yolo Bypass, which covers tens of thousands of acres, is designed to take on floodwaters from the Sacramento River during and after storms. This helps ease pressure on the levees protecting Sacramento and ultimately reduces the risk of a devastating flood in the state’s capital. The smaller Sutter Bypass serves a similar function.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11945152\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11945152\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS51470_SacramentoDelta-5-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A cloudy, blue sky rests on top of a calm river with healthy brush hugging the riverbend.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS51470_SacramentoDelta-5-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS51470_SacramentoDelta-5-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS51470_SacramentoDelta-5-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS51470_SacramentoDelta-5-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS51470_SacramentoDelta-5-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wetland marshes of Sherman Island on Threemile Slough, which is part of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, on the morning of Friday, Sept. 10, 2021. The delta is the hub of California’s water supply, supplying freshwater to two-thirds of California’s population and millions of acres of farmland. \u003ccite>(Joyce Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In comparison, the San Joaquin Valley lacks expansive areas where the river can sprawl.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>River Partners is nearing completion on a 2,000-acre floodplain project called \u003ca href=\"https://riverpartners.org/project/dos-rios-ranch-preserve/\">Dos Rios Ranch Preserve\u003c/a> at the confluence of the San Joaquin and Tuolumne rivers. But Machado said other projects to restore the San Joaquin Valley’s floodplains have lagged.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the Yolo Bypass, which runs between Davis and Sacramento, is undergoing a substantial expansion, “there’s a proposal to do the same type of project on the San Joaquin River [that’s] never [been] finished,” he said. The \u003ca href=\"https://southdeltawater.org/paradise-cut-expansion\">Paradise Cut Bypass Expansion Project\u003c/a>, just upstream from Stockton, has not moved past the planning stage. (The project has not been fully funded and is not part of the budget cuts.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s been, like, 15 years in the making,” said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta, an environmental justice group in Stockton. “We always lose on infrastructure funding here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>U.S. \u003ca href=\"https://harder.house.gov/about\">Representative Josh Harder\u003c/a>, who represents parts of the Delta region and San Joaquin Valley in the House, said the proposed cuts endanger a region he called “one of the most vulnerable in the nation to severe flooding.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Now is not the time to cut critical funding for floodplain management or any other flood mitigation efforts,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://a13.asmdc.org/district-map\">Assemblymember Carlos Villapudua\u003c/a> said the defunded projects were already underway, making Newsom’s cuts even more devastating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve already moved the ball down the field,” said Villapudua, a Stockton Democrat. “The planning process takes a lot of time — man hours, labor hours. We understand that he (Newsom) needs to make cuts, but this is the one area he should not be taking money from, especially not right now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On March 24, Villapudua’s office asked lawmakers to sign a letter pleading with the governor to restore the funding. The letter has not yet been sent to Newsom as Villapudua gathers more signatures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It sometimes upsets me that he (Newsom) forgets about the Central Valley,” Villapudua said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The threat of devastating flooding in the Central Valley is growing as levees age and erode. Climate change is a factor, too. In a paper published last summer, \u003ca href=\"https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abq0995\">researchers warned that a large storm could drop 3 feet of rain in the Sierra Nevada over 30 days\u003c/a>, generating floods that cause “approximately $1 trillion in 2022 dollars, making it the most expensive geophysical disaster in global history to date.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state is currently spending about a quarter of what it should be on the region’s flood measures, according to a \u003ca href=\"http://cvfpb.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Central_Valley_Flood_Protection_Plan_Update_2022_ADOPTED.pdf\">Central Valley plan (PDF)\u003c/a> by Crowfoot’s agency. About $3.2 billion in state/federal funding over the next five years is needed to protect against catastrophic flooding in the region, while the state has spent just $250 million a year. “More investment is needed,” the plan says.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Stockton faces severe flooding risks\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Stockton, where 13% of its 322,000 people live in poverty and 45% are Latino, is grappling with the possibility of a devastating flood. Experts say much more protection is needed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Barrigan-Parrilla of Restore the Delta said at least 17,000 houses in Stockton near Van Buskirk Park are at particular risk of flooding. Nearby a community of unhoused people lives beside Mormon Slough, which nearly spilled over its levee in January.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That $40 million could have been used to finish up planning for floodplains from Merced all the way to Van Buskirk Park,” she said. “The more we can get floodplains back into use along the San Joaquin River system, the more we can keep people safe from flooding, especially in environmental justice communities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rentner said the cut funding could have already opened up new floodplains to reduce impacts to \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2023/01/california-floods-sacramento-valley/\">communities that were inundated in flood events since January\u003c/a>. The Stanislaus County dairy farm could have been purchased, partially restored and inundated by now “if we had access to these funds four months ago,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11945151\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11945151\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS5667_P1010931-scaled.jpg\" alt='A diamond-shaped, yellow sign reads \"Winding Levee Road.\" To the right of the sign, a body of water ripples as wind turbines spin in the background.' width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS5667_P1010931-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS5667_P1010931-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS5667_P1010931-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS5667_P1010931-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS5667_P1010931-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS5667_P1010931-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS5667_P1010931-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A levee in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. \u003ccite>(Lauren Sommer/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Chris Elias, executive director of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sjafca.org/Home/Components/StaffDirectory/StaffDirectory/14/55\">San Joaquin Area Flood Control Agency\u003c/a>, said upgrading 23 miles of levees would protect almost half of the city’s 320,000 people. The agency is also studying ways to restore floodplains upstream, primarily with the long-awaited Paradise Cut expansion. This tract of land, when inundated, could reduce the river’s flood level by three feet in Stockton, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The levee upgrades and the floodplain work could cost a whopping $1.9 billion, Elias said. The federal government will probably cover most of the cost, while the state is likely to fund about one-quarter. (Newsom’s proposed budget does not eliminate any of that funding.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the work is still years away from completion, so Elias said restoring smaller parcels along the San Joaquin — like the many River Partners projects that had funding cut — could increase flood protection for Stockton.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Beyond flood control — wildlife and recreation, too\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Benefits of setting back, notching or removing levees go beyond flood protection. “The work creates jobs,” Flora said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Floodplains also offer habitat for birds, fish and other wildlife, and restoring them is widely recognized as a key component of saving California’s \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2023/03/california-salmon-fishery-shut-down/\">declining salmon runs\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the right soil types, flooded land can also create settling basins where water can sink into the ground, replenishing \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2023/02/california-depleted-groundwater-storms/\">depleted groundwater reserves\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11945146\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1650px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11945146\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS991_delta2-120111.jpg\" alt=\"An aerial shot of a serpentine-like river with farmland in various shades of green surrounding it.\" width=\"1650\" height=\"1050\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS991_delta2-120111.jpg 1650w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS991_delta2-120111-800x509.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS991_delta2-120111-1020x649.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS991_delta2-120111-160x102.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS991_delta2-120111-1536x977.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1650px) 100vw, 1650px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An aerial view of the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Valley Delta. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Department of Water Resources)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>They also represent potential recreation opportunities. For example, the \u003ca href=\"https://riverpartners.org/project/dos-rios-ranch-preserve/\">Dos Rios Ranch Preserve\u003c/a> is proposed to become a new state park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gray, the former Assemblymember, said floodplain restoration is a rare type of public works projects that has bipartisan, almost universal, support because of the many benefits it provides.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a win for the environment, it’s a win for agriculture, it’s a win for public safety,” Gray said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Gov. Gavin Newsom eliminated $40 million for restoring floodplains, halting projects that help protect vulnerable, marginalized communities like Stockton. San Joaquin Valley legislators are pushing back.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1738793685,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 61,
"wordCount": 2659
},
"headData": {
"title": "'We Are in Big Trouble': Newsom Cuts $40 Million Meant to Restore Floodplains Near Vulnerable San Joaquin Valley | KQED",
"description": "Gov. Gavin Newsom eliminated $40 million for restoring floodplains, halting projects that help protect vulnerable, marginalized communities like Stockton. San Joaquin Valley legislators are pushing back.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"canonicalUrl": "https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2023/03/california-floods-funding-cut-san-joaquin-valley/",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "'We Are in Big Trouble': Newsom Cuts $40 Million Meant to Restore Floodplains Near Vulnerable San Joaquin Valley",
"datePublished": "2023-03-29T18:00:08-07:00",
"dateModified": "2025-02-05T14:14:45-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/alastair-bland/\">Alastair Bland\u003c/a>",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2023/03/california-floods-funding-cut-san-joaquin-valley/",
"redirect": {
"type": "external",
"url": "https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2023/03/california-floods-funding-cut-san-joaquin-valley/"
},
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">L\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>ast fall, when the state Legislature authorized $40 million for floodplain restoration, Julie Rentner knew just what she would do with it. Her group, River Partners, would spend more than a quarter of the funds buying a 500-acre dairy farm abutting the San Joaquin River in Stanislaus County.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then millions more would be spent on removing debris, sheds, manure heaps and levees. They would plant native vegetation, and eventually restore the parcel to its natural state as a woodland and floodplain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When floodplains like these are allowed to fill with water, they can reduce flooding impacts elsewhere along the river, so the project could protect communities downstream, including Stockton, which is highly vulnerable to flooding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rentner said crews of community members were ready to begin the work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in January, the money disappeared.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a move that upset and baffled local leaders, conservationists and floodplain advocates, Gov. Gavin Newsom, in his \u003ca href=\"https://ebudget.ca.gov/2023-24/pdf/BudgetSummary/FullBudgetSummary.pdf\">2023–24 budget proposal (PDF)\u003c/a>, eliminated all $40 million that had been allocated for San Joaquin Valley floodplain restoration this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year’s floods have highlighted the need for improved — and more equitably distributed — flood protection efforts throughout California. Restoring floodplains, many experts agree, is one of the most cost-effective ways to protect communities from flooding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Joaquin Valley lawmakers of both parties and local leaders say Newsom’s budget cut could endanger their communities, and that it signals a disparity in how the state distributes funding for flood protection. San Joaquin Valley communities vulnerable to flooding are largely home to underserved, lower-income Latino people.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "‘It is imperative that the Legislature reject the proposed $40 million cut for San Joaquin Valley floodplain restoration.’",
"name": "pullquote",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"size": "medium",
"align": "right",
"citation": "State Sen. Susan Eggman",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Sen. Susan Eggman, a Stockton Democrat, said this winter’s storms “underscore the need for significant new investments for flood protection.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is imperative that the Legislature reject the proposed $40 million cut for San Joaquin Valley floodplain restoration,” she said in an email to CalMatters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To former \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/legislator-tracker/adam-gray-1977/\">Assemblymember Adam Gray\u003c/a>, who rallied for floodplain restoration work in the valley, the governor’s proposed $40 million cut demonstrates\u003cem> \u003c/em>inequality in how the state distributes assistance. Gray and several lawmakers said the Central Valley’s lower-income, marginalized communities often get cut first.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When money gets dedicated to our region, some of the other regions don’t mind taking from us,” said Gray, a Democrat from Merced who served in the Assembly from 2012 through 2022.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11945164\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11945164\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/032423-STOCKTON-LEVEES-MHN-06-CM.jpg\" alt=\"Tents and other belongings are pictured next to an overflow of water near a small bridge. A city is pictured in the background.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/032423-STOCKTON-LEVEES-MHN-06-CM.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/032423-STOCKTON-LEVEES-MHN-06-CM-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/032423-STOCKTON-LEVEES-MHN-06-CM-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/032423-STOCKTON-LEVEES-MHN-06-CM-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Stockton faces a severe risk of flooding. Mormon Slough, shown here on March 24, 2023, is located near downtown Stockton. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s unclear what effect the funding cut will have on future flooding in Stockton and the rest of the San Joaquin Valley. But Rentner said if the dairy farm project had gone as planned, the land could have been partially restored already, absorbing floodwaters and potentially lessening impacts along the river in Stockton.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It remains to be seen if the funding cut will be included in the May \u003ca href=\"https://ebudget.ca.gov/\">revised budget\u003c/a> and signed into law in the budget this summer. But California Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot told CalMatters that the governor’s proposed budget, for now, renders all of the floodplain money unavailable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to the project in Stanislaus County, nine other projects for restoring 2,400 acres along the San Joaquin River had been slated to begin, with their $13 million in funding now in limbo, Rentner said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These projects were shovel-ready,” Rentner said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Restoring a floodplain typically involves removing, lowering or setting back levees to allow swollen rivers to expand laterally onto uninhabited land. This reduces pressure on levees elsewhere, lessening the chances that they’ll rupture. Most of California’s historic floodplains have been separated from rivers by levees and converted to agriculture.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "‘Setting levees back gives the river room to roam.’",
"name": "pullquote",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"size": "medium",
"align": "right",
"citation": "Josh Viers, professor of water resource management, UC Merced",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“Levees effectively straitjacket the river and either push floodwaters downstream to unprotected communities or actually bottleneck a river and cause flooding upstream,” said Josh Viers, a professor of water resource management at UC Merced who has studied floodplains for more than 20 years. “Setting levees back gives the river room to roam.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As scientists, environmentalists and legislators recognize the benefits of floodplains, interest in restoring them has grown across party lines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Floodplains also offer seasonal foraging ground for juvenile salmon and nesting grounds for waterfowl. And they can help recharge the San Joaquin Valley’s depleted groundwater basins.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Nowhere for that water to go’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Mike Machado, a farmer near Linden who served in the State Assembly and Senate for 14 years, until 2008, said the governor’s proposal is one of many examples of the state choosing to fund flood protection projects for wealthy regions but not for poorer ones like the San Joaquin Valley.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "More California Flood Coverage ",
"tag": "flood"
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“They conduct cost-benefit analyses to determine if the value of what they’re protecting is greater than the cost of protecting it,” Machado said. “In places like Pajaro and low-lying areas of San Joaquin County, the value of lives seems to be discounted to the value of economic wealth.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier this month, the rising Pajaro River broke through an \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-03-12/authorities-knew-the-levee-could-fail\">aging levee\u003c/a> that provides inadequate protection to the Monterey County \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-03-20/a-long-history-of-racism-set-the-stage-for-pajaro-flooding\">town of Pajaro\u003c/a>, forcing about 3,000 residents — largely Latino farmworkers — to evacuate and damaging about 900 homes and buildings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Republican \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/legislator-tracker/heath-flora-1983/\">Assemblymember Heath Flora\u003c/a>, whose district includes the northern San Joaquin Valley, said the shortage of floodplain acreage along the San Joaquin River increases the region’s vulnerability to flooding. He said the near-record Sierra Nevada snowpack, when it melts, could cause even more flooding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we get a warm spring, we are in big trouble,” Flora said. “We have nowhere for that water to go, and it’s coming, whether we like it or not.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Flora said “it’s hard to understand” why the governor cut floodplain funds that have bipartisan support and could provide an array of benefits — not just for flood control but also creating new greenspaces and recreation opportunities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The low-income, underserved communities that the governor likes to talk about … this is their backyard, and so it’s interesting that we say we care about these people but inevitably the projects that affect them the most seem to be the first to get cut,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“To have [the floodplains funding] stripped away is incredibly frustrating.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11945150\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1125px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11945150\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS3305_delta120111.jpg\" alt=\"A dark green river curves along lush, green farmland.\" width=\"1125\" height=\"750\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS3305_delta120111.jpg 1125w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS3305_delta120111-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS3305_delta120111-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS3305_delta120111-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1125px) 100vw, 1125px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The San Joaquin-Sacramento River Valley Delta. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Department of Water Resources)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Rentner of River Partners said the sooner the state spends the money in the San Joaquin Valley, the better.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s really a fractional downpayment on improvements that we would have reaped the benefits of — even this year,” Rentner said. “If we don’t pay now, we’re going to have to pay a lot more later.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Explaining why the funding was cut, Crowfoot said the state in recent years enjoyed a budget surplus, allowing for “historic investments … in these multi-benefit floodplain investments.” But Newsom estimated in January that \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/california-budget/2023/01/california-budget-newsom-deficit/\">California is facing a budget deficit of about $22.5 billion\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "‘If we get a warm spring, we are in big trouble. We have nowhere for that water to go, and it’s coming, whether we like it or not.’",
"name": "pullquote",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"size": "medium",
"align": "right",
"citation": "Assemblymember Heath Flora",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“Then fiscal conditions changed quite rapidly and we found ourselves having to make cuts, and that’s not easy because we’re cutting priorities that we acknowledge to be priorities, which is why we funded them in the first place,” Crowfoot said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This does not represent a change or diminishment of our long-term priority to significantly expand floodplains in the San Joaquin Valley and beyond,” Crowfoot said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The $40 million may be restored in the next budget cycle, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If fiscal conditions improve, and the general fund improves, it will be automatically restored,” he said. This could happen by what’s referred to as a fiscal trigger process, though it wouldn’t be until January.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom’s office did not respond to questions about his cuts to floodplain funding.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A tale of two valleys\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Officials say vast differences in flood control infrastructure in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys illustrate the unequal investments in the two regions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Along the Sacramento River, the vast Yolo Bypass, which covers tens of thousands of acres, is designed to take on floodwaters from the Sacramento River during and after storms. This helps ease pressure on the levees protecting Sacramento and ultimately reduces the risk of a devastating flood in the state’s capital. The smaller Sutter Bypass serves a similar function.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11945152\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11945152\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS51470_SacramentoDelta-5-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A cloudy, blue sky rests on top of a calm river with healthy brush hugging the riverbend.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS51470_SacramentoDelta-5-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS51470_SacramentoDelta-5-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS51470_SacramentoDelta-5-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS51470_SacramentoDelta-5-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS51470_SacramentoDelta-5-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wetland marshes of Sherman Island on Threemile Slough, which is part of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, on the morning of Friday, Sept. 10, 2021. The delta is the hub of California’s water supply, supplying freshwater to two-thirds of California’s population and millions of acres of farmland. \u003ccite>(Joyce Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In comparison, the San Joaquin Valley lacks expansive areas where the river can sprawl.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>River Partners is nearing completion on a 2,000-acre floodplain project called \u003ca href=\"https://riverpartners.org/project/dos-rios-ranch-preserve/\">Dos Rios Ranch Preserve\u003c/a> at the confluence of the San Joaquin and Tuolumne rivers. But Machado said other projects to restore the San Joaquin Valley’s floodplains have lagged.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the Yolo Bypass, which runs between Davis and Sacramento, is undergoing a substantial expansion, “there’s a proposal to do the same type of project on the San Joaquin River [that’s] never [been] finished,” he said. The \u003ca href=\"https://southdeltawater.org/paradise-cut-expansion\">Paradise Cut Bypass Expansion Project\u003c/a>, just upstream from Stockton, has not moved past the planning stage. (The project has not been fully funded and is not part of the budget cuts.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s been, like, 15 years in the making,” said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta, an environmental justice group in Stockton. “We always lose on infrastructure funding here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>U.S. \u003ca href=\"https://harder.house.gov/about\">Representative Josh Harder\u003c/a>, who represents parts of the Delta region and San Joaquin Valley in the House, said the proposed cuts endanger a region he called “one of the most vulnerable in the nation to severe flooding.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Now is not the time to cut critical funding for floodplain management or any other flood mitigation efforts,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://a13.asmdc.org/district-map\">Assemblymember Carlos Villapudua\u003c/a> said the defunded projects were already underway, making Newsom’s cuts even more devastating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve already moved the ball down the field,” said Villapudua, a Stockton Democrat. “The planning process takes a lot of time — man hours, labor hours. We understand that he (Newsom) needs to make cuts, but this is the one area he should not be taking money from, especially not right now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On March 24, Villapudua’s office asked lawmakers to sign a letter pleading with the governor to restore the funding. The letter has not yet been sent to Newsom as Villapudua gathers more signatures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It sometimes upsets me that he (Newsom) forgets about the Central Valley,” Villapudua said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The threat of devastating flooding in the Central Valley is growing as levees age and erode. Climate change is a factor, too. In a paper published last summer, \u003ca href=\"https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abq0995\">researchers warned that a large storm could drop 3 feet of rain in the Sierra Nevada over 30 days\u003c/a>, generating floods that cause “approximately $1 trillion in 2022 dollars, making it the most expensive geophysical disaster in global history to date.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state is currently spending about a quarter of what it should be on the region’s flood measures, according to a \u003ca href=\"http://cvfpb.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Central_Valley_Flood_Protection_Plan_Update_2022_ADOPTED.pdf\">Central Valley plan (PDF)\u003c/a> by Crowfoot’s agency. About $3.2 billion in state/federal funding over the next five years is needed to protect against catastrophic flooding in the region, while the state has spent just $250 million a year. “More investment is needed,” the plan says.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Stockton faces severe flooding risks\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Stockton, where 13% of its 322,000 people live in poverty and 45% are Latino, is grappling with the possibility of a devastating flood. Experts say much more protection is needed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Barrigan-Parrilla of Restore the Delta said at least 17,000 houses in Stockton near Van Buskirk Park are at particular risk of flooding. Nearby a community of unhoused people lives beside Mormon Slough, which nearly spilled over its levee in January.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That $40 million could have been used to finish up planning for floodplains from Merced all the way to Van Buskirk Park,” she said. “The more we can get floodplains back into use along the San Joaquin River system, the more we can keep people safe from flooding, especially in environmental justice communities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rentner said the cut funding could have already opened up new floodplains to reduce impacts to \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2023/01/california-floods-sacramento-valley/\">communities that were inundated in flood events since January\u003c/a>. The Stanislaus County dairy farm could have been purchased, partially restored and inundated by now “if we had access to these funds four months ago,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11945151\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11945151\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS5667_P1010931-scaled.jpg\" alt='A diamond-shaped, yellow sign reads \"Winding Levee Road.\" To the right of the sign, a body of water ripples as wind turbines spin in the background.' width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS5667_P1010931-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS5667_P1010931-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS5667_P1010931-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS5667_P1010931-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS5667_P1010931-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS5667_P1010931-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS5667_P1010931-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A levee in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. \u003ccite>(Lauren Sommer/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Chris Elias, executive director of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sjafca.org/Home/Components/StaffDirectory/StaffDirectory/14/55\">San Joaquin Area Flood Control Agency\u003c/a>, said upgrading 23 miles of levees would protect almost half of the city’s 320,000 people. The agency is also studying ways to restore floodplains upstream, primarily with the long-awaited Paradise Cut expansion. This tract of land, when inundated, could reduce the river’s flood level by three feet in Stockton, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The levee upgrades and the floodplain work could cost a whopping $1.9 billion, Elias said. The federal government will probably cover most of the cost, while the state is likely to fund about one-quarter. (Newsom’s proposed budget does not eliminate any of that funding.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the work is still years away from completion, so Elias said restoring smaller parcels along the San Joaquin — like the many River Partners projects that had funding cut — could increase flood protection for Stockton.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Beyond flood control — wildlife and recreation, too\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Benefits of setting back, notching or removing levees go beyond flood protection. “The work creates jobs,” Flora said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Floodplains also offer habitat for birds, fish and other wildlife, and restoring them is widely recognized as a key component of saving California’s \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2023/03/california-salmon-fishery-shut-down/\">declining salmon runs\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the right soil types, flooded land can also create settling basins where water can sink into the ground, replenishing \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2023/02/california-depleted-groundwater-storms/\">depleted groundwater reserves\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11945146\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1650px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11945146\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS991_delta2-120111.jpg\" alt=\"An aerial shot of a serpentine-like river with farmland in various shades of green surrounding it.\" width=\"1650\" height=\"1050\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS991_delta2-120111.jpg 1650w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS991_delta2-120111-800x509.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS991_delta2-120111-1020x649.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS991_delta2-120111-160x102.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS991_delta2-120111-1536x977.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1650px) 100vw, 1650px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An aerial view of the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Valley Delta. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Department of Water Resources)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>They also represent potential recreation opportunities. For example, the \u003ca href=\"https://riverpartners.org/project/dos-rios-ranch-preserve/\">Dos Rios Ranch Preserve\u003c/a> is proposed to become a new state park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gray, the former Assemblymember, said floodplain restoration is a rare type of public works projects that has bipartisan, almost universal, support because of the many benefits it provides.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a win for the environment, it’s a win for agriculture, it’s a win for public safety,” Gray said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2023/03/california-floods-funding-cut-san-joaquin-valley/",
"authors": [
"byline_news_11945113"
],
"categories": [
"news_19906",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_18538",
"news_20023",
"news_3431",
"news_16",
"news_312"
],
"affiliates": [
"news_18481"
],
"featImg": "news_11945153",
"label": "news_18481"
},
"news_11944877": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11944877",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11944877",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1680118929000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "power-outages-claim-lost-food",
"title": "I Lost Power and My Food Spoiled. Can I Get Reimbursed?",
"publishDate": 1680118929,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "I Lost Power and My Food Spoiled. Can I Get Reimbursed? | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to: \u003ca href=\"#claimoutage\">How to get reimbursed after a power outage\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>This \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11936674/how-to-prepare-for-this-weeks-atmospheric-river-storm-sandbags-emergency-kits-and-more\">recent run of storms in the Bay Area\u003c/a> has brought high winds and downed trees — which has meant a \u003cem>lot\u003c/em> of power outages for people across the region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One big way that losing power can affect you, your household \u003cem>and\u003c/em> your finances: When your fridge and your freezer shut down for an extended period, much of your fresh food ends up spoiled and unsafe to eat. \u003ca href=\"https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2021/08/18/avoid-foodborne-illness-during-temporary-power-outages#:~:text=4%2DHour%20Window%3A%20Your%20refrigerator,food%20to%20determine%20its%20safety.\">Food safety guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u003c/a> explicitly state that a refrigerator without power will only keep food safe to eat for up to four hours during a power outage, and that after that you should “discard refrigerated perishable food,” specifically meat, poultry, fish, eggs and leftovers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a time when food costs keep rising and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11943420/your-calfresh-benefits-will-drop-in-april-heres-what-you-can-do\">food benefits are about to drop\u003c/a>, losing a fridge or freezer’s worth of food can mean a serious loss for a home that’s trying to make every dollar stretch. If this happened to you, you’re by no means alone, says Mark Toney, executive director of \u003ca href=\"https://www.turn.org/\">The Utility Reform Network (TURN)\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#tellus\">Tell us: What else do you need to know right now?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>“We’ve heard a lot of complaints from people who, because of these storms, because the electricity lines have been brought down by trees, that absolutely — they were without power for a day, two days, and lost everything in their refrigerator,” said Toney. “What’s hard is … [holding] the utility company responsible for some of these weather events.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the good news is, there \u003cem>are\u003c/em> avenues available to potentially claim back the costs of food you lost due to a shutoff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The not-so-good news: These routes aren’t always simple or guaranteed to work. But they do exist, so keep reading for what you should know about trying to claim compensation for spoiled food.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What you need to know about claiming the costs of spoiled food\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>You can try to clam compensation from two sources:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>PG&E, your utility provider; or,\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Your insurance provider, if you have one.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>For claiming compensation, it matters what kind of outage you were affected by — that is:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>What caused the outage: whether it was a weather event, like a storm, or a mistake by PG&E; and,\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>How long the outage was.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>In any case, seeking compensation from either PG&E or your insurance provider may prove time-consuming and potentially confusing, and isn’t necessarily guaranteed to result in a payment. But this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. Keep reading for the details.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"claimoutage\">\u003c/a>How to claim compensation directly from PG&E\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>PG&E generally has \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en_US/residential/outages/current-outages/report-view-an-electric-outage/additional-resources/extended-outage-compensation/faq/outage-compensation-faqs.page\">two routes for getting compensated\u003c/a> for lost food during an outage: the company’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en_US/residential/customer-service/help/claims/claims.page?WT.mc_id=Vanity_claim\">regular claims process\u003c/a>, and their \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en_US/residential/outages/current-outages/report-view-an-electric-outage/additional-resources/extended-outage-compensation/extended-outage-compensation.page\">Safety Net program\u003c/a>, which automatically provides Storm Inconvenience Payments. The process you choose depends on what caused your outage and how long you were without power.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Seeking compensation through Storm Inconvenience Payments from PG&E’s Safety Net program\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to PG&E, the Safety Net program is intended to compensate customers who experience outages caused by weather, through an automatic Storm Inconvenience Payment — but the outage \u003cem>must\u003c/em> have lasted 48 hours or more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>How it’s meant to work: PG&E says that if your household is affected by a power outage that lasts for two days or longer, its Safety Net program will pay “$25 to $100 automatically 60 to 120 days after the outage.”[pullquote size='medium' align='right']Tip: If you were affected by an outage of 48 hours or more, put a reminder on your calendar for four months’ time — by that time you should have received an automatic PG&E Storm Inconvenience Payment.[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You should not have to do anything to receive this payment, or actively make a claim, but if four months have passed with no sign of your Storm Inconvenience Payment, you can call PG&E’s extended outage line at (888) PGE-4PGE (1-888-743-4743).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The payment is tiered according to how long your outage lasted, and your bill will be credited $25 for every 24-hour period you’ve been without power — but only after you’ve been without power for 24 hours:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>48–72 hours (i.e., 2–3 days): $25 payment\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>72–96 hours (i.e., 3–4 days): $50 payment\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>96–120 hours (i.e., 4–5 days): $75 payment\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>120 hours or more (i.e., 5 days or longer): $100 payment, maximum\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Businesses, agricultural accounts, multifamily-building common areas, streetlights “and all other non-residential accounts” are not eligible to receive Storm Inconvenience Payments, even if the outage was 48 hour or longer. Clients who experienced what PG&E call a public safety power shutoff (PSPS) during a period of high wildfire risk also don’t qualify for these payments. \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en_US/residential/outages/current-outages/report-view-an-electric-outage/additional-resources/extended-outage-compensation/extended-outage-compensation.page\">Read more about what’s \u003cem>not\u003c/em> covered by a Storm Inconvenience Payment\u003c/a> under PG&E’s Safety Net program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Claiming compensation through PG&E’s regular claims process\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/pge_global/common/pdfs/customer-service/help/claims/form_lossclaim.pdf\">file a compensation claim for specific damages caused by a power outage using the form linked here (PDF)\u003c/a>. You can claim back the costs of spoiled food but also expenses related to a personal injury, property damage and lost wages. But according to PG&E, the outage \u003cem>cannot\u003c/em> have been caused by weather.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This form states that “generally speaking, PG&E is responsible for damages that result from its negligence” but also adds that the company is “not responsible for damages that we do not cause or that are the result of forces beyond our control.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What’s beyond PG&E’s control? According to the utility company, outages that are “caused by earthquakes [or] weather conditions (such as lightning, floods, heavy storms, extreme heat or winds).”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label='More Guides from KQED' tag='kqed-guides']\u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en_US/residential/customer-service/help/claims/claims.page?WT.mc_id=Vanity_claim\">You can submit a claim to PG&E online, by email, by fax or by mail.\u003c/a> This process will ask you for a lot of documentation, including photographs of the spoiled food, so be sure to take photos before you toss anything. You’ll also be asked for receipts for the food. If you do not have receipts for all the food you lost, you \u003cem>could\u003c/em> try to submit the following:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Receipts for any replacement food you had to buy.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Screenshots from your grocery’s store website that shows the specific food items lost with their prices.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>An online receipt, if you have a membership or an account with the store you purchased your food from that tracks your purchases (for example, Target Circle).\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>PG&E says they assess food spoilage complaints based on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en_US/residential/customer-service/help/claims/claims.page?WT.mc_id=Vanity_claim\">USDA guidelines regarding how long food stays cold\u003c/a>. Those guidelines say:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Fully stocked freezers usually keep food frozen for two days after losing power.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Half-full freezers usually keep food frozen for about one day.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Refrigerators usually keep food cold for up to four hours if the door remains unopened.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>This means that you probably won’t be able to claim compensation for, say, a half-full freezer that had no power for half a day — or for the contents of a fully stocked freezer that lost power for one day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The outage that spoiled my food was during the storms, but it lasted less than 48 hours. What do I do?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In this case, PG&E does not provide a clear option for claiming compensation — even though those \u003ca href=\"https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2021/08/18/avoid-foodborne-illness-during-temporary-power-outages#:~:text=4%2DHour%20Window%3A%20Your%20refrigerator,food%20to%20determine%20its%20safety.\">USDA food safety guidelines make clear that food in a refrigerator that’s been without power for over four hours\u003c/a> is no longer safe to eat, and perishable foods should be discarded.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That said, when asked to clarify whether someone affected by storm-related food spoilage should \u003cem>only\u003c/em> wait for a Storm Inconvenience Payment and not \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en_US/residential/customer-service/help/claims/claims.page?WT.mc_id=Vanity_claim\">apply for compensation through PG&E’s claims portal\u003c/a>, PG&E spokesperson Tamar Sarkissian told KQED in an email that “[w]e look at each and every claim that comes through, and make decisions on an individual basis.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With this in mind, you may decide to \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en_US/residential/customer-service/help/claims/claims.page?WT.mc_id=Vanity_claim\">file a claim directly through PG&E’s claims portal anyway\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How to claim compensation directly from your insurer\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you have renters insurance or homeowners insurance, your policy \u003cem>may\u003c/em> cover the loss of food due to an outage. Like \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en_US/residential/customer-service/help/claims/claims.page?WT.mc_id=Vanity_claim\">filing a claim directly through PG&E\u003c/a>, you’ll most likely have to provide documentation and evidence of food spoilage, so take photos of your food before you throw it away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But this isn’t guaranteed, and you’ll need to either contact your insurer directly to inquire, or consult your policy details.[pullquote size='medium' align='right']Tip: Before you throw out food, be sure to take photos of it, in your fridge and outside it.[/pullquote]Mark Toney of \u003ca href=\"https://www.turn.org/\">TURN\u003c/a> also recommends being aware of the potential consequences of claiming for spoiled food on your insurance: Make sure you’re aware of the amount of the deductible you’d have to pay to receive a payout.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not only that, but “just remember that there’s a trade-off,” cautions Toney. “Insurance companies have been known to increase premiums after a claim.\u003ci>“\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>If you’ve lost your food due to outages and can’t buy more right now\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If your food has spoiled in your fridge or your freezer, and you are finding it difficult to replace it and secure food for your household, you have options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>See \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11943420/your-calfresh-benefits-will-drop-in-april-heres-what-you-can-do#foodsupport\">our guide to finding food assistance near you\u003c/a>, from food banks and community pantries to options for picking up free or low-cost groceries in your county. You can also call 211, 24 hours a day, if you are in immediate need of food assistance.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"tellus\">\u003c/a>Tell us: What else do you need information about?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>At KQED News, we know that it can sometimes be hard to track down the answers to navigate life in the Bay Area in 2023. We’ve published \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/coronavirus-resources-and-explainers\">clear, helpful explainers and guides about issues like COVID\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11936674/how-to-prepare-for-this-weeks-atmospheric-river-storm-sandbags-emergency-kits-and-more\">how to cope with intense winter weather\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11821950/how-to-safely-attend-a-protest-in-the-bay-area\">how to exercise your right to protest safely\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So tell us: What do you need to know more about? Tell us, and you could see your question answered online or on social media. What you submit will make our reporting stronger, and help us decide what to cover here on our site, and on KQED Public Radio, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[hearken id=\"10483\" src=\"https://modules.wearehearken.com/kqed/embed/10483.js\"]\u003cbr>\n[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "When does food become unsafe to eat? During a power outage, it's a lot sooner than you think. Here are your options for making a claim from PG&E or your insurer for spoiled food.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1738793944,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": true,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 37,
"wordCount": 1847
},
"headData": {
"title": "I Lost Power and My Food Spoiled. Can I Get Reimbursed? | KQED",
"description": "When does food become unsafe to eat? During a power outage, it's a lot sooner than you think. Here are your options for making a claim from PG&E or your insurer for spoiled food.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "I Lost Power and My Food Spoiled. Can I Get Reimbursed?",
"datePublished": "2023-03-29T12:42:09-07:00",
"dateModified": "2025-02-05T14:19:04-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"sticky": false,
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/11944877/power-outages-claim-lost-food",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to: \u003ca href=\"#claimoutage\">How to get reimbursed after a power outage\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>This \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11936674/how-to-prepare-for-this-weeks-atmospheric-river-storm-sandbags-emergency-kits-and-more\">recent run of storms in the Bay Area\u003c/a> has brought high winds and downed trees — which has meant a \u003cem>lot\u003c/em> of power outages for people across the region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One big way that losing power can affect you, your household \u003cem>and\u003c/em> your finances: When your fridge and your freezer shut down for an extended period, much of your fresh food ends up spoiled and unsafe to eat. \u003ca href=\"https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2021/08/18/avoid-foodborne-illness-during-temporary-power-outages#:~:text=4%2DHour%20Window%3A%20Your%20refrigerator,food%20to%20determine%20its%20safety.\">Food safety guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u003c/a> explicitly state that a refrigerator without power will only keep food safe to eat for up to four hours during a power outage, and that after that you should “discard refrigerated perishable food,” specifically meat, poultry, fish, eggs and leftovers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a time when food costs keep rising and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11943420/your-calfresh-benefits-will-drop-in-april-heres-what-you-can-do\">food benefits are about to drop\u003c/a>, losing a fridge or freezer’s worth of food can mean a serious loss for a home that’s trying to make every dollar stretch. If this happened to you, you’re by no means alone, says Mark Toney, executive director of \u003ca href=\"https://www.turn.org/\">The Utility Reform Network (TURN)\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#tellus\">Tell us: What else do you need to know right now?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>“We’ve heard a lot of complaints from people who, because of these storms, because the electricity lines have been brought down by trees, that absolutely — they were without power for a day, two days, and lost everything in their refrigerator,” said Toney. “What’s hard is … [holding] the utility company responsible for some of these weather events.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the good news is, there \u003cem>are\u003c/em> avenues available to potentially claim back the costs of food you lost due to a shutoff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The not-so-good news: These routes aren’t always simple or guaranteed to work. But they do exist, so keep reading for what you should know about trying to claim compensation for spoiled food.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What you need to know about claiming the costs of spoiled food\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>You can try to clam compensation from two sources:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>PG&E, your utility provider; or,\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Your insurance provider, if you have one.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>For claiming compensation, it matters what kind of outage you were affected by — that is:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>What caused the outage: whether it was a weather event, like a storm, or a mistake by PG&E; and,\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>How long the outage was.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>In any case, seeking compensation from either PG&E or your insurance provider may prove time-consuming and potentially confusing, and isn’t necessarily guaranteed to result in a payment. But this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. Keep reading for the details.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"claimoutage\">\u003c/a>How to claim compensation directly from PG&E\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>PG&E generally has \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en_US/residential/outages/current-outages/report-view-an-electric-outage/additional-resources/extended-outage-compensation/faq/outage-compensation-faqs.page\">two routes for getting compensated\u003c/a> for lost food during an outage: the company’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en_US/residential/customer-service/help/claims/claims.page?WT.mc_id=Vanity_claim\">regular claims process\u003c/a>, and their \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en_US/residential/outages/current-outages/report-view-an-electric-outage/additional-resources/extended-outage-compensation/extended-outage-compensation.page\">Safety Net program\u003c/a>, which automatically provides Storm Inconvenience Payments. The process you choose depends on what caused your outage and how long you were without power.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Seeking compensation through Storm Inconvenience Payments from PG&E’s Safety Net program\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to PG&E, the Safety Net program is intended to compensate customers who experience outages caused by weather, through an automatic Storm Inconvenience Payment — but the outage \u003cem>must\u003c/em> have lasted 48 hours or more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>How it’s meant to work: PG&E says that if your household is affected by a power outage that lasts for two days or longer, its Safety Net program will pay “$25 to $100 automatically 60 to 120 days after the outage.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "Tip: If you were affected by an outage of 48 hours or more, put a reminder on your calendar for four months’ time — by that time you should have received an automatic PG&E Storm Inconvenience Payment.",
"name": "pullquote",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"size": "medium",
"align": "right",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You should not have to do anything to receive this payment, or actively make a claim, but if four months have passed with no sign of your Storm Inconvenience Payment, you can call PG&E’s extended outage line at (888) PGE-4PGE (1-888-743-4743).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The payment is tiered according to how long your outage lasted, and your bill will be credited $25 for every 24-hour period you’ve been without power — but only after you’ve been without power for 24 hours:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>48–72 hours (i.e., 2–3 days): $25 payment\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>72–96 hours (i.e., 3–4 days): $50 payment\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>96–120 hours (i.e., 4–5 days): $75 payment\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>120 hours or more (i.e., 5 days or longer): $100 payment, maximum\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Businesses, agricultural accounts, multifamily-building common areas, streetlights “and all other non-residential accounts” are not eligible to receive Storm Inconvenience Payments, even if the outage was 48 hour or longer. Clients who experienced what PG&E call a public safety power shutoff (PSPS) during a period of high wildfire risk also don’t qualify for these payments. \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en_US/residential/outages/current-outages/report-view-an-electric-outage/additional-resources/extended-outage-compensation/extended-outage-compensation.page\">Read more about what’s \u003cem>not\u003c/em> covered by a Storm Inconvenience Payment\u003c/a> under PG&E’s Safety Net program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Claiming compensation through PG&E’s regular claims process\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/pge_global/common/pdfs/customer-service/help/claims/form_lossclaim.pdf\">file a compensation claim for specific damages caused by a power outage using the form linked here (PDF)\u003c/a>. You can claim back the costs of spoiled food but also expenses related to a personal injury, property damage and lost wages. But according to PG&E, the outage \u003cem>cannot\u003c/em> have been caused by weather.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This form states that “generally speaking, PG&E is responsible for damages that result from its negligence” but also adds that the company is “not responsible for damages that we do not cause or that are the result of forces beyond our control.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What’s beyond PG&E’s control? According to the utility company, outages that are “caused by earthquakes [or] weather conditions (such as lightning, floods, heavy storms, extreme heat or winds).”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "More Guides from KQED ",
"tag": "kqed-guides"
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en_US/residential/customer-service/help/claims/claims.page?WT.mc_id=Vanity_claim\">You can submit a claim to PG&E online, by email, by fax or by mail.\u003c/a> This process will ask you for a lot of documentation, including photographs of the spoiled food, so be sure to take photos before you toss anything. You’ll also be asked for receipts for the food. If you do not have receipts for all the food you lost, you \u003cem>could\u003c/em> try to submit the following:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Receipts for any replacement food you had to buy.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Screenshots from your grocery’s store website that shows the specific food items lost with their prices.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>An online receipt, if you have a membership or an account with the store you purchased your food from that tracks your purchases (for example, Target Circle).\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>PG&E says they assess food spoilage complaints based on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en_US/residential/customer-service/help/claims/claims.page?WT.mc_id=Vanity_claim\">USDA guidelines regarding how long food stays cold\u003c/a>. Those guidelines say:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Fully stocked freezers usually keep food frozen for two days after losing power.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Half-full freezers usually keep food frozen for about one day.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Refrigerators usually keep food cold for up to four hours if the door remains unopened.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>This means that you probably won’t be able to claim compensation for, say, a half-full freezer that had no power for half a day — or for the contents of a fully stocked freezer that lost power for one day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The outage that spoiled my food was during the storms, but it lasted less than 48 hours. What do I do?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In this case, PG&E does not provide a clear option for claiming compensation — even though those \u003ca href=\"https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2021/08/18/avoid-foodborne-illness-during-temporary-power-outages#:~:text=4%2DHour%20Window%3A%20Your%20refrigerator,food%20to%20determine%20its%20safety.\">USDA food safety guidelines make clear that food in a refrigerator that’s been without power for over four hours\u003c/a> is no longer safe to eat, and perishable foods should be discarded.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That said, when asked to clarify whether someone affected by storm-related food spoilage should \u003cem>only\u003c/em> wait for a Storm Inconvenience Payment and not \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en_US/residential/customer-service/help/claims/claims.page?WT.mc_id=Vanity_claim\">apply for compensation through PG&E’s claims portal\u003c/a>, PG&E spokesperson Tamar Sarkissian told KQED in an email that “[w]e look at each and every claim that comes through, and make decisions on an individual basis.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With this in mind, you may decide to \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en_US/residential/customer-service/help/claims/claims.page?WT.mc_id=Vanity_claim\">file a claim directly through PG&E’s claims portal anyway\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How to claim compensation directly from your insurer\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you have renters insurance or homeowners insurance, your policy \u003cem>may\u003c/em> cover the loss of food due to an outage. Like \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en_US/residential/customer-service/help/claims/claims.page?WT.mc_id=Vanity_claim\">filing a claim directly through PG&E\u003c/a>, you’ll most likely have to provide documentation and evidence of food spoilage, so take photos of your food before you throw it away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But this isn’t guaranteed, and you’ll need to either contact your insurer directly to inquire, or consult your policy details.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "Tip: Before you throw out food, be sure to take photos of it, in your fridge and outside it.",
"name": "pullquote",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"size": "medium",
"align": "right",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Mark Toney of \u003ca href=\"https://www.turn.org/\">TURN\u003c/a> also recommends being aware of the potential consequences of claiming for spoiled food on your insurance: Make sure you’re aware of the amount of the deductible you’d have to pay to receive a payout.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not only that, but “just remember that there’s a trade-off,” cautions Toney. “Insurance companies have been known to increase premiums after a claim.\u003ci>“\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>If you’ve lost your food due to outages and can’t buy more right now\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If your food has spoiled in your fridge or your freezer, and you are finding it difficult to replace it and secure food for your household, you have options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>See \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11943420/your-calfresh-benefits-will-drop-in-april-heres-what-you-can-do#foodsupport\">our guide to finding food assistance near you\u003c/a>, from food banks and community pantries to options for picking up free or low-cost groceries in your county. You can also call 211, 24 hours a day, if you are in immediate need of food assistance.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"tellus\">\u003c/a>Tell us: What else do you need information about?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>At KQED News, we know that it can sometimes be hard to track down the answers to navigate life in the Bay Area in 2023. We’ve published \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/coronavirus-resources-and-explainers\">clear, helpful explainers and guides about issues like COVID\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11936674/how-to-prepare-for-this-weeks-atmospheric-river-storm-sandbags-emergency-kits-and-more\">how to cope with intense winter weather\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11821950/how-to-safely-attend-a-protest-in-the-bay-area\">how to exercise your right to protest safely\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So tell us: What do you need to know more about? Tell us, and you could see your question answered online or on social media. What you submit will make our reporting stronger, and help us decide what to cover here on our site, and on KQED Public Radio, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "hearken",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"id": "10483",
"src": "https://modules.wearehearken.com/kqed/embed/10483.js",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/11944877/power-outages-claim-lost-food",
"authors": [
"3243"
],
"categories": [
"news_6266",
"news_28250",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_32707",
"news_31961",
"news_3431",
"news_26702",
"news_140",
"news_26815",
"news_1084",
"news_26823",
"news_26802",
"news_3"
],
"featImg": "news_11945073",
"label": "news"
},
"news_11944595": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11944595",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11944595",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1679652022000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "we-dont-know-whether-most-of-the-bays-levees-are-safe",
"title": "We Don’t Know Whether Most of the Bay’s Levees Are Safe",
"publishDate": 1679652022,
"format": "audio",
"headTitle": "We Don’t Know Whether Most of the Bay’s Levees Are Safe | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Residents of Pajaro in Monterey County were finally allowed to return home Thursday after destructive flooding from last week’s storms. When the levee broke, causing the town to flood, it wasn’t a huge surprise; problems with that levee have been well-known for decades, but it wasn’t enough to address the problem fast enough.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Bay Area has hundreds of its own levees. And it turns out, we don’t really know how safe or vulnerable most of them are.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp id=\"embed-code\" class=\"inconsolata\">\n\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC6283383876&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\n\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guest: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"http://@ezraromero\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ezra David Romero\u003c/a>, climate reporter for KQED\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Links\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/about/17653/help-make-the-bay-even-better\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Bay Survey\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\n\u003cdiv class=\"components-Label-___Label__postLabel\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1981900/fewer-than-10-of-levees-in-the-greater-bay-area-have-a-federal-risk-rating\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fewer Than 10% of Levees in the Greater Bay Area Have a Federal Flood Risk Rating\u003c/a>\u003c/div>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "The Bay Area has hundreds of levees, but we don’t know how safe or vulnerable most of them are.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1726000683,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": true,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 6,
"wordCount": 117
},
"headData": {
"title": "We Don’t Know Whether Most of the Bay’s Levees Are Safe | KQED",
"description": "The Bay Area has hundreds of levees, but we don’t know how safe or vulnerable most of them are.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "We Don’t Know Whether Most of the Bay’s Levees Are Safe",
"datePublished": "2023-03-24T03:00:22-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-09-10T13:38:03-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"source": "The Bay",
"sourceUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/podcasts/thebay",
"audioUrl": "https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/chrt.fm/track/A511B8/traffic.megaphone.fm/KQINC6283383876.mp3?updated=1679608741",
"sticky": false,
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/11944595/we-dont-know-whether-most-of-the-bays-levees-are-safe",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Residents of Pajaro in Monterey County were finally allowed to return home Thursday after destructive flooding from last week’s storms. When the levee broke, causing the town to flood, it wasn’t a huge surprise; problems with that levee have been well-known for decades, but it wasn’t enough to address the problem fast enough.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Bay Area has hundreds of its own levees. And it turns out, we don’t really know how safe or vulnerable most of them are.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp id=\"embed-code\" class=\"inconsolata\">\n\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC6283383876&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\n\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guest: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"http://@ezraromero\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ezra David Romero\u003c/a>, climate reporter for KQED\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Links\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/about/17653/help-make-the-bay-even-better\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Bay Survey\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\n\u003cdiv class=\"components-Label-___Label__postLabel\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1981900/fewer-than-10-of-levees-in-the-greater-bay-area-have-a-federal-risk-rating\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fewer Than 10% of Levees in the Greater Bay Area Have a Federal Flood Risk Rating\u003c/a>\u003c/div>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/11944595/we-dont-know-whether-most-of-the-bays-levees-are-safe",
"authors": [
"8654",
"11746",
"11802",
"11649"
],
"programs": [
"news_28779"
],
"categories": [
"news_34165",
"news_8",
"news_33520"
],
"tags": [
"news_255",
"news_20023",
"news_3431",
"news_32519",
"news_22598"
],
"featImg": "news_11943343",
"label": "source_news_11944595"
},
"news_11944098": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11944098",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11944098",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1679344042000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "top-climate-scientists-warn-planet-on-track-for-catastrophic-warming-heres-what-world-leaders-can-do-now",
"title": "Top Climate Scientists Warn Planet on Track for 'Catastrophic Warming.' Here's What World Leaders Can Do Now",
"publishDate": 1679344042,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Top Climate Scientists Warn Planet on Track for ‘Catastrophic Warming.’ Here’s What World Leaders Can Do Now | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"term": 253,
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>The planet is on track for catastrophic warming, but world leaders already have many options to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and protect people, according to a major new climate change report from the United Nations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report was drafted by top climate scientists and reviewed by delegates from nearly 200 countries. The authors hope it will provide crucial guidance to politicians around the world ahead of negotiations later this year aimed at reining in climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_11933485 hero='https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/Webp.net-resizeimage-5-1020x680.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The planet faces an increasingly dire situation, according to the report. Climate change is already disrupting daily life around the world. Extreme weather, including heat waves, droughts, floods, wildfires and hurricanes, is killing and displacing people worldwide, and causing massive economic damage. And the amount of carbon dioxide accumulating in the atmosphere is \u003ca href=\"https://gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends/\">still rising\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Climate change is a threat to human well-being and planetary health,” the report states. “There is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there are many choices readily available to policymakers who want to address climate change, the report makes clear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those choices include straightforward, immediate solutions such as quickly adopting renewable sources of electricity and clamping down on new oil and gas extraction. They are also more aspirational ones, such as investing in research that could one day allow technology to \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2022/04/04/1090577162/climate-change-un-ipcc-report\">suck carbon dioxide out of the air.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The authors of the report are not prescriptive. No solution is held up as the “right” one. Instead, scientists warn that \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/08/09/1025898341/major-report-warns-climate-change-is-accelerating-and-humans-must-cut-emissions-\">there is no time, and no reason, to delay action\u003c/a> on climate change. And every potential path forward includes reducing reliance on fossil fuels, the main driver of climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The Earth is really hot and getting hotter\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The report lays out \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/10/29/1045344199/cop26-glasgow-climate-summit\">sobering facts about the state of the Earth’s climate\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The planet is nearly 2 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than it was in the late 1800s, and is on track to exceed 5 degrees Fahrenheit of warming by the end of the century, it warns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That kind of extreme warming would spell disaster for billions of people, as well as critical ecosystems, and would lead to irreversible sea level rise and mass extinction of plants and animals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it is still possible to change course, the report states. If humans can limit warming to no more than 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 degrees Celsius), some of the more catastrophic effects of climate change can be avoided. Sea levels would rise a lot less. Heat waves and storms would be less deadly. And many ecosystems on land and in the oceans would be more able to adapt or recover.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To achieve that goal, global emissions would need to be slashed in half by the end of the decade, something the report authors say is still possible if countries around the world quickly pivot away from fossil fuels. Right now, \u003ca href=\"https://www.c2es.org/content/international-emissions/\">total global emissions are not falling\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://apps.npr.org/dailygraphics/graphics/cop26-emissions-gap-20211019/?initialWidth=763&childId=responsive-embed-cop26-emissions-gap-20211019&parentTitle=Earth%20is%20on%20track%20for%20catastrophic%20warming%2C%20U.N.%20warns%20%3A%20NPR&parentUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.npr.org%2F2023%2F03%2F20%2F1162711459%2Fcut-emissions-quickly-to-save-lives-scientists-warn-in-a-new-u-n-report\" width=\"100%\" height=\"800\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A cheat sheet for world leaders to tackle climate change\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Over the last two years, hundreds of scientists working for the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have published three sprawling reports that highlighted the disproportionate effects of climate change on poor people, the need to cut emissions rapidly and the policy options available for doing so. Each of those documents ran hundreds of pages long.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This latest report is the slim summary of all that work: a cheat-sheet for policymakers who face increasing pressure to address global warming.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The timing of its publication coincides with an important deadline under the 2015 Paris Agreement, which aims to keep warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), and ideally to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The Paris Agreement requires countries to review their progress toward that goal at climate negotiations later this year in the United Arab Emirates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The hope is that the new report will serve as a shared scientific foundation for those negotiations, as well as a menu of solutions available to world leaders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When we talk about climate change it’s often really easy to focus on the bad outcomes, the things that are really scary,” says Solomon Hsiang, a climate scientist at the University of California, Berkeley who has worked with the IPCC.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Solomon Hsiang, climate scientist, University of California, Berkeley\"]‘Investments in reducing emissions are investments in improving people’s health and education and economic opportunities, and protecting the people we care about.’[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He says it’s important that policymakers, and the wider public, not lose hope in the face of relentless news about extreme weather and other dangerous effects of global warming. \u003ca href=\"https://impactlab.org/news-insights/lives-saved-calculator/\">Hsiang’s own research\u003c/a> has found that millions of lives, and billions of dollars, can be saved by reducing global reliance on fossil fuels, in part because extracting and burning fossil fuels releases enormous amounts of air and water pollution, on top of their damage to the climate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Investments in reducing emissions are investments in improving people’s health and education and economic opportunities, and protecting the people we care about,” he explains.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Poor people are most threatened by climate change\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The other big takeaway from the report is that people in developing countries, and poor people around the world, are disproportionately affected by climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Vulnerable communities who have historically contributed the least to current climate change are disproportionately affected,” the report states.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, “between 2010 and 2020, human mortality from floods, droughts and storms was 15 times higher in highly vulnerable regions, compared to regions with very low vulnerability,” the authors write.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The most vulnerable communities include people who live in low-income countries, low-lying areas and island nations, and Indigenous groups around the world, according to the report.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are not all in this together,” says Patricia Romero-Lankao, a climate researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the University of Chicago who works with the IPCC. “The poorest and most marginalized communities are the most vulnerable, in all cities and in all regions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reducing emissions will help protect such communities, now and in the future, says Romero-Lankao.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, investing in low-carbon public transit, designing communities to support walking or biking, building homes and other buildings to be resilient and building cleaner power plants can reduce air pollution and save lives in low-lying and low-income neighborhoods that are currently suffering disproportionate damage, the report notes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2022/11/07/1133270753/climate-change-loss-damage-cop27\">biggest topics at international climate negotiations\u003c/a> later this year will be how much richer, industrialized countries will pay to help poorer countries transition to clean energy and recover from damage caused by climate change. The industrialized world has historically been the biggest contributor of the pollution now driving climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Cut+emissions+quickly+to+save+lives%2C+scientists+warn+in+a+new+U.N.+report&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "A major new climate change report from the United Nations warns that the planet is on track for catastrophic warming. But world leaders have many options to change course.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1738793950,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": true,
"iframeSrcs": [
"https://apps.npr.org/dailygraphics/graphics/cop26-emissions-gap-20211019/"
],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 32,
"wordCount": 1188
},
"headData": {
"title": "Top Climate Scientists Warn Planet on Track for 'Catastrophic Warming.' Here's What World Leaders Can Do Now | KQED",
"description": "A major new climate change report from the United Nations warns that the planet is on track for catastrophic warming. But world leaders have many options to change course.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Top Climate Scientists Warn Planet on Track for 'Catastrophic Warming.' Here's What World Leaders Can Do Now",
"datePublished": "2023-03-20T13:27:22-07:00",
"dateModified": "2025-02-05T14:19:10-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"sticky": false,
"nprImageCredit": "Thoko Chikondi",
"nprByline": "\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/people/384067907/rebecca-hersher\">Rebecca Hersher\u003c/a>",
"nprImageAgency": "AP",
"nprStoryId": "1162711459",
"nprApiLink": "http://api.npr.org/query?id=1162711459&apiKey=MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004",
"nprHtmlLink": "https://www.npr.org/2023/03/20/1162711459/cut-emissions-quickly-to-save-lives-scientists-warn-in-a-new-u-n-report?ft=nprml&f=1162711459",
"nprRetrievedStory": "1",
"nprPubDate": "Mon, 20 Mar 2023 13:45:00 -0400",
"nprStoryDate": "Mon, 20 Mar 2023 09:00:00 -0400",
"nprLastModifiedDate": "Mon, 20 Mar 2023 13:45:14 -0400",
"nprAudio": "https://ondemand.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/me/2023/03/20230320_me_cut_emissions_quickly_to_save_lives_scientists_warn_in_a_new_un_report.mp3?orgId=1&topicId=1167&d=208&p=3&story=1162711459&ft=nprml&f=1162711459",
"nprAudioM3u": "http://api.npr.org/m3u/11164689599-b0bc5f.m3u?orgId=1&topicId=1167&d=208&p=3&story=1162711459&ft=nprml&f=1162711459",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/11944098/top-climate-scientists-warn-planet-on-track-for-catastrophic-warming-heres-what-world-leaders-can-do-now",
"audioUrl": "https://ondemand.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/me/2023/03/20230320_me_cut_emissions_quickly_to_save_lives_scientists_warn_in_a_new_un_report.mp3?orgId=1&topicId=1167&d=208&p=3&story=1162711459&ft=nprml&f=1162711459",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The planet is on track for catastrophic warming, but world leaders already have many options to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and protect people, according to a major new climate change report from the United Nations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report was drafted by top climate scientists and reviewed by delegates from nearly 200 countries. The authors hope it will provide crucial guidance to politicians around the world ahead of negotiations later this year aimed at reining in climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_11933485",
"hero": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/Webp.net-resizeimage-5-1020x680.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The planet faces an increasingly dire situation, according to the report. Climate change is already disrupting daily life around the world. Extreme weather, including heat waves, droughts, floods, wildfires and hurricanes, is killing and displacing people worldwide, and causing massive economic damage. And the amount of carbon dioxide accumulating in the atmosphere is \u003ca href=\"https://gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends/\">still rising\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Climate change is a threat to human well-being and planetary health,” the report states. “There is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there are many choices readily available to policymakers who want to address climate change, the report makes clear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those choices include straightforward, immediate solutions such as quickly adopting renewable sources of electricity and clamping down on new oil and gas extraction. They are also more aspirational ones, such as investing in research that could one day allow technology to \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2022/04/04/1090577162/climate-change-un-ipcc-report\">suck carbon dioxide out of the air.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The authors of the report are not prescriptive. No solution is held up as the “right” one. Instead, scientists warn that \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/08/09/1025898341/major-report-warns-climate-change-is-accelerating-and-humans-must-cut-emissions-\">there is no time, and no reason, to delay action\u003c/a> on climate change. And every potential path forward includes reducing reliance on fossil fuels, the main driver of climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The Earth is really hot and getting hotter\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The report lays out \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/10/29/1045344199/cop26-glasgow-climate-summit\">sobering facts about the state of the Earth’s climate\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The planet is nearly 2 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than it was in the late 1800s, and is on track to exceed 5 degrees Fahrenheit of warming by the end of the century, it warns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That kind of extreme warming would spell disaster for billions of people, as well as critical ecosystems, and would lead to irreversible sea level rise and mass extinction of plants and animals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it is still possible to change course, the report states. If humans can limit warming to no more than 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 degrees Celsius), some of the more catastrophic effects of climate change can be avoided. Sea levels would rise a lot less. Heat waves and storms would be less deadly. And many ecosystems on land and in the oceans would be more able to adapt or recover.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To achieve that goal, global emissions would need to be slashed in half by the end of the decade, something the report authors say is still possible if countries around the world quickly pivot away from fossil fuels. Right now, \u003ca href=\"https://www.c2es.org/content/international-emissions/\">total global emissions are not falling\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://apps.npr.org/dailygraphics/graphics/cop26-emissions-gap-20211019/?initialWidth=763&childId=responsive-embed-cop26-emissions-gap-20211019&parentTitle=Earth%20is%20on%20track%20for%20catastrophic%20warming%2C%20U.N.%20warns%20%3A%20NPR&parentUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.npr.org%2F2023%2F03%2F20%2F1162711459%2Fcut-emissions-quickly-to-save-lives-scientists-warn-in-a-new-u-n-report\" width=\"100%\" height=\"800\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A cheat sheet for world leaders to tackle climate change\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Over the last two years, hundreds of scientists working for the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have published three sprawling reports that highlighted the disproportionate effects of climate change on poor people, the need to cut emissions rapidly and the policy options available for doing so. Each of those documents ran hundreds of pages long.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This latest report is the slim summary of all that work: a cheat-sheet for policymakers who face increasing pressure to address global warming.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The timing of its publication coincides with an important deadline under the 2015 Paris Agreement, which aims to keep warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), and ideally to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The Paris Agreement requires countries to review their progress toward that goal at climate negotiations later this year in the United Arab Emirates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The hope is that the new report will serve as a shared scientific foundation for those negotiations, as well as a menu of solutions available to world leaders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When we talk about climate change it’s often really easy to focus on the bad outcomes, the things that are really scary,” says Solomon Hsiang, a climate scientist at the University of California, Berkeley who has worked with the IPCC.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "‘Investments in reducing emissions are investments in improving people’s health and education and economic opportunities, and protecting the people we care about.’",
"name": "pullquote",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"size": "medium",
"align": "right",
"citation": "Solomon Hsiang, climate scientist, University of California, Berkeley",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He says it’s important that policymakers, and the wider public, not lose hope in the face of relentless news about extreme weather and other dangerous effects of global warming. \u003ca href=\"https://impactlab.org/news-insights/lives-saved-calculator/\">Hsiang’s own research\u003c/a> has found that millions of lives, and billions of dollars, can be saved by reducing global reliance on fossil fuels, in part because extracting and burning fossil fuels releases enormous amounts of air and water pollution, on top of their damage to the climate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Investments in reducing emissions are investments in improving people’s health and education and economic opportunities, and protecting the people we care about,” he explains.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Poor people are most threatened by climate change\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The other big takeaway from the report is that people in developing countries, and poor people around the world, are disproportionately affected by climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Vulnerable communities who have historically contributed the least to current climate change are disproportionately affected,” the report states.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, “between 2010 and 2020, human mortality from floods, droughts and storms was 15 times higher in highly vulnerable regions, compared to regions with very low vulnerability,” the authors write.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The most vulnerable communities include people who live in low-income countries, low-lying areas and island nations, and Indigenous groups around the world, according to the report.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are not all in this together,” says Patricia Romero-Lankao, a climate researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the University of Chicago who works with the IPCC. “The poorest and most marginalized communities are the most vulnerable, in all cities and in all regions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reducing emissions will help protect such communities, now and in the future, says Romero-Lankao.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, investing in low-carbon public transit, designing communities to support walking or biking, building homes and other buildings to be resilient and building cleaner power plants can reduce air pollution and save lives in low-lying and low-income neighborhoods that are currently suffering disproportionate damage, the report notes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2022/11/07/1133270753/climate-change-loss-damage-cop27\">biggest topics at international climate negotiations\u003c/a> later this year will be how much richer, industrialized countries will pay to help poorer countries transition to clean energy and recover from damage caused by climate change. The industrialized world has historically been the biggest contributor of the pollution now driving climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Cut+emissions+quickly+to+save+lives%2C+scientists+warn+in+a+new+U.N.+report&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/11944098/top-climate-scientists-warn-planet-on-track-for-catastrophic-warming-heres-what-world-leaders-can-do-now",
"authors": [
"byline_news_11944098"
],
"categories": [
"news_34165",
"news_19906",
"news_8",
"news_13",
"news_356"
],
"tags": [
"news_23716",
"news_19204",
"news_255",
"news_20023",
"news_3431",
"news_328",
"news_3430",
"news_1875",
"news_3"
],
"affiliates": [
"news_253"
],
"featImg": "news_11944099",
"label": "news_253"
},
"news_11943590": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11943590",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11943590",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1678971642000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "thousands-of-californians-arent-eligible-for-federal-aid-after-storms-heres-why",
"title": "Thousands of Californians Aren't Eligible for Federal Aid After Storms. Here's Why",
"publishDate": 1678971642,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Thousands of Californians Aren’t Eligible for Federal Aid After Storms. Here’s Why | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"term": 18481,
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>It was late Friday morning when muddy, brown water started rushing onto Michelle Hackett’s Salinas Valley farms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On one side of her family’s Riverview Farms cannabis business, a county-mandated retention pond overflowed. Next door, a farm abandoned by another grower — one of \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2023/02/emerald-triangle-cannabis-communities/\">dozens of cannabis businesses to shut down in Monterey County\u003c/a> in recent years — spawned another small river headed straight for Hackett and her skeleton crew.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The water completely stopped and backed up,” Hackett said. “I thought, ‘Holy s—, this is going to flood our greenhouses.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cannabis businesses like Hackett’s — along with thousands of undocumented farmworkers and the area’s unhoused residents — fear they’ll be left to fend for themselves as yet another winter storm batters California’s Central Coast, local officials and advocates say.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Undocumented workers and cannabis businesses are, by law, ineligible for federally funded programs such as unemployment or aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now — after days of wind and rain and a Pajaro River levee failure flooded the area, displacing hundreds of people in Monterey County alone — details are lacking about how state officials would respond to calls to direct state funds and other disaster relief to these communities in the region known as \u003ca href=\"https://asmith.ucdavis.edu/news/whither-salinas-valley#:~:text=Salinas%20Valley%20grows%20almost%20half,over%2080%25%20of%20its%20artichokes.\">America’s salad bowl\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California has stepped into the breach before, offering some \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2020/04/15/governor-newsom-announces-new-initiatives-to-support-california-workers-impacted-by-covid-19/\">support to undocumented workers\u003c/a> during the height of the \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/california-divide/2022/04/california-undocumented-immigrants/\">COVID-19 pandemic\u003c/a>, and to some cannabis farmers whose crops were \u003ca href=\"https://cannabis.ca.gov/resources/disaster-relief-programs/\">damaged in wildfires\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s an issue complicated by competing political priorities and a projected \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/california-divide/2022/12/california-budget-deficit-safety-net/\">$24 billion state budget deficit\u003c/a> for the coming year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom is scheduled to survey flood and storm damage in Monterey County on March 15, including the inundated farmworker town of Pajaro. He will be getting an update from local officials, a spokesperson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Newsom planned his visit, many officials and advocates said they hope to hear how the state will help. A few lawmakers said they’re exploring legislative options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11943670\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11943670\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/GettyImages-1248040438-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"An aerial view shows many buildings, homes, streets and cars flooded with brown water.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1430\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/GettyImages-1248040438-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/GettyImages-1248040438-800x447.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/GettyImages-1248040438-1020x570.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/GettyImages-1248040438-160x89.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/GettyImages-1248040438-1536x858.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/GettyImages-1248040438-2048x1144.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/GettyImages-1248040438-1920x1072.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An aerial view shows a flooded neighborhood in the unincorporated community of Pajaro in Watsonville, on March 11, 2023. Residents were forced to evacuate in the middle of the night after an atmospheric river storm surge broke the Pajaro levee and sent floodwaters flowing into the community. \u003ccite>(Josh Edelson/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I think we need to step up our efforts to help those who are undocumented and can’t earn a paycheck because of the current rains and floods,” said Assemblymember Miguel Santiago, a Democrat representing Los Angeles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He is co-sponsoring \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB227\">Senate Bill 227\u003c/a> to provide \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/california-divide/2023/02/california-safety-net/\">unemployment benefits\u003c/a> to undocumented Californians. About \u003ca href=\"https://clc.ucmerced.edu/sites/clc.ucmerced.edu/files/page/documents/fwhs_report_2.2.2383.pdf?_gl=1*pc2ynm*_ga*MTQ2ODM4OTYwMC4xNjc1Mzg4NTc3*_ga_TSE2LSBDQZ*MTY3ODg0OTMxNC4zLjEuMTY3ODg0OTMyMS41My4wLjA.\">6 in 10 farmworkers are not eligible for unemployment benefits (PDF)\u003c/a>, according to studies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Santiago said the current situation is frustrating because he has advocated for years for more safety-net programs that could have helped families hurt by the flooding. If such legislation were in place, he said, “we’d be able to have a place where we could go get people some financial relief.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles)\"]‘I think we need to step up our efforts to help those who are undocumented and can’t earn a paycheck because of the current rains and floods.’[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Assemblymember Robert Rivas of Salinas, chosen by his fellow Democrats to be the next Assembly Speaker, noted in a statement to CalMatters that undocumented workers typically don’t qualify for federal assistance funds for emergency housing, home repairs, personal property loss, funeral expenses and other aid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My office, in collaboration with other legislative offices, is exploring immediate legislative and budget action to provide relief for these vulnerable communities,” Rivas said, noting that the workers also had been ineligible for many COVID-19 relief programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state began filling some of that gap during the pandemic. Undocumented workers were eligible for $1,700 in state funds: a $500 COVID-19 disaster relief prepaid card and $1,200 from the Golden State Stimulus Fund.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tuesday afternoon, groups of people remained in tents along the flooded Pajaro River. Despite large federal and state housing budgets, many of those people don’t have homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many farmworker families in the flooded region are undocumented, from Indigenous groups, and don’t speak either English or Spanish well, said Eloy Ortiz, board member for the Watsonville-based \u003ca href=\"https://farmworkerfamily.org/board-of-directors\">Center for Farmworker Families\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That complicates attempts to apply for assistance on behalf of the legal residents in their household. Some were rejected when they applied for aid in January, Ortiz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The folks who have been flooded out, if it were a normal year, they’d be starting to go back to the fields to work right now,” Ortiz said. “And now they will probably not be able to go back for months.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label='California Storm Coverage' tag='california-storm']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than 20,000 acres of agricultural land in Monterey County will likely sit fallow because of stormwater contamination, noted Monterey County Supervisor Luis Alejo, a former Assembly member from Watsonville, in a tweet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These are low-income Latino families, and the start of the harvest season for strawberries, raspberries and other crops is in March. Now farmworkers will be out of work,” he wrote Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I urge our state leaders to provide aid in the state budget for undocumented flood victims who do not qualify for FEMA assistance & additional relief for farmworkers who will be out of work due to flooded ag fields and not qualifying for unemployment insurance,” he wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The financial pain they will face will be severe & prolonged!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As many as 8,500 people were under flood evacuation warnings in Monterey County over the weekend. The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services \u003ca href=\"https://news.caloes.ca.gov/shelters-available-for-residents-impacted-by-march-storms-03-14-23/\">reported that more than 300 people had stayed in five shelters across Santa Cruz and Monterey counties\u003c/a> Monday night, the vast majority taking shelter at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/SupervisorAlejo/status/1635917913394937857\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Salinas, Hackett, 32, said her choice was simple as the storm bore down: save herself, or say goodbye to a crop that has already weathered a steep drop in prices and other industry pressures. At least 56 cannabis businesses have closed in Monterey County in recent years, according to a recent estimate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the water rose Friday morning, Hackett and her team who normally would be busy trimming plants or readying retail products instead shut down early to reinforce storm ditches and forge cement slabs into an impromptu flood wall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, as another storm knocked out power at her two adjacent 10-acre farms, Hackett said she is unaware of any aid available for cannabis businesses affected by flooding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Ideally if we were any other business, we would have immediately had help,” Hackett said. “Whether it be the county, whether it be the state — someone needs to be held accountable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Longer term, Hackett said she fears climate change and economic obstacles will point her industry toward the same downward trajectory that wiped out many of the flower growers who once thrived in the same Monterey County greenhouses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11943673\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11943673\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS21243_Grow-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Rows of bright green cannabis plants inside a greenhouse during the daytime.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS21243_Grow-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS21243_Grow-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS21243_Grow-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS21243_Grow-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS21243_Grow-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS21243_Grow-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS21243_Grow-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The inside of a cannabis greenhouse. \u003ccite>(Sam Harnett/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She isn’t alone in her frustrations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Joey Espinoza, a Salinas-raised cannabis compliance consultant, said several of his clients were directly affected by floodwaters, including one grower who had to evacuate plants from a flooded greenhouse. Even while the ground was still muddy, he said, many cannabis farmers have turned their attention to other pressing challenges in the industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As cannabis remains illegal at the national level, Espinoza said, local growers shut out of federal financial aid are now confronting storm damage after a collapse in cannabis prices and while facing a tight deadline to apply for new state licenses by the end of the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Industry advocates say\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2023/02/emerald-triangle-cannabis-communities/\"> the economic turmoil\u003c/a> stems from a mix of overproduction of legal and illegal cannabis, as well as ever-changing taxes and regulations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s layers of issues with all of this,” Espinoza said. “And the thing to remember is, there’s not gonna be a lot of relief for cannabis in terms of FEMA and things like that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was unclear exactly what the state might do.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Department of Cannabis Control told CalMatters that, under current state law, \u003ca href=\"https://cannabis.ca.gov/resources/disaster-relief-programs/\">cannabis businesses affected by disasters may apply for temporary waivers of license requirements\u003c/a> if they become unable to meet regulatory requirements. State \u003ca href=\"https://cannabis.ca.gov/applicants/application-resources/\">licensing rules\u003c/a> govern everything from sometimes-costly infrastructure requirements to the way products are transported and secured.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and aim to provide regulatory relief to licensees for impacts related to issues including flooding,” said David Hafner, department spokesperson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the past the \u003ca href=\"https://cannabis.ca.gov/2021/09/disaster-relief-for-cannabis-businesses-affected-by-fires/\">department has offered support for cannabis growers\u003c/a> affected by wildfires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Few lawmakers voiced ideas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the meantime, some residents took matters into their own hands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gabino Orozco Avila was getting ready to serve dinner to neighbors gathered on a walkway above the rushing Pajaro River late Tuesday afternoon, a stone’s throw from his daughter’s home in Pajaro. While his daughter remained evacuated, Avila, owner of a longtime food business, Tacos Los Jacona — a nod to his Michoacán hometown — had prepared carne asada, rice and beans for the community that had long supported him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Now that people need me,” he said in Spanish, “I’ll be here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Many cannabis farms and undocumented farmworkers lost their homes and livelihoods, yet they won't qualify for federal help. Will legislators and Gov. Gavin Newsom, who's expected to visit flooded areas on March 15, commit state funds to remedy that?",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1738793692,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 47,
"wordCount": 1630
},
"headData": {
"title": "Thousands of Californians Aren't Eligible for Federal Aid After Storms. Here's Why | KQED",
"description": "Many cannabis farms and undocumented farmworkers lost their homes and livelihoods, yet they won't qualify for federal help. Will legislators and Gov. Gavin Newsom, who's expected to visit flooded areas on March 15, commit state funds to remedy that?",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Thousands of Californians Aren't Eligible for Federal Aid After Storms. Here's Why",
"datePublished": "2023-03-16T06:00:42-07:00",
"dateModified": "2025-02-05T14:14:52-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/laurenhepler/\">Lauren Hepler\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/nicole-foy/\">Nicole Foy \u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/wendy-fry/\">Wendy Fry\u003c/a>",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/11943590/thousands-of-californians-arent-eligible-for-federal-aid-after-storms-heres-why",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>It was late Friday morning when muddy, brown water started rushing onto Michelle Hackett’s Salinas Valley farms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On one side of her family’s Riverview Farms cannabis business, a county-mandated retention pond overflowed. Next door, a farm abandoned by another grower — one of \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2023/02/emerald-triangle-cannabis-communities/\">dozens of cannabis businesses to shut down in Monterey County\u003c/a> in recent years — spawned another small river headed straight for Hackett and her skeleton crew.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The water completely stopped and backed up,” Hackett said. “I thought, ‘Holy s—, this is going to flood our greenhouses.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cannabis businesses like Hackett’s — along with thousands of undocumented farmworkers and the area’s unhoused residents — fear they’ll be left to fend for themselves as yet another winter storm batters California’s Central Coast, local officials and advocates say.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Undocumented workers and cannabis businesses are, by law, ineligible for federally funded programs such as unemployment or aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now — after days of wind and rain and a Pajaro River levee failure flooded the area, displacing hundreds of people in Monterey County alone — details are lacking about how state officials would respond to calls to direct state funds and other disaster relief to these communities in the region known as \u003ca href=\"https://asmith.ucdavis.edu/news/whither-salinas-valley#:~:text=Salinas%20Valley%20grows%20almost%20half,over%2080%25%20of%20its%20artichokes.\">America’s salad bowl\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California has stepped into the breach before, offering some \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2020/04/15/governor-newsom-announces-new-initiatives-to-support-california-workers-impacted-by-covid-19/\">support to undocumented workers\u003c/a> during the height of the \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/california-divide/2022/04/california-undocumented-immigrants/\">COVID-19 pandemic\u003c/a>, and to some cannabis farmers whose crops were \u003ca href=\"https://cannabis.ca.gov/resources/disaster-relief-programs/\">damaged in wildfires\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s an issue complicated by competing political priorities and a projected \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/california-divide/2022/12/california-budget-deficit-safety-net/\">$24 billion state budget deficit\u003c/a> for the coming year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom is scheduled to survey flood and storm damage in Monterey County on March 15, including the inundated farmworker town of Pajaro. He will be getting an update from local officials, a spokesperson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Newsom planned his visit, many officials and advocates said they hope to hear how the state will help. A few lawmakers said they’re exploring legislative options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11943670\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11943670\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/GettyImages-1248040438-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"An aerial view shows many buildings, homes, streets and cars flooded with brown water.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1430\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/GettyImages-1248040438-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/GettyImages-1248040438-800x447.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/GettyImages-1248040438-1020x570.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/GettyImages-1248040438-160x89.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/GettyImages-1248040438-1536x858.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/GettyImages-1248040438-2048x1144.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/GettyImages-1248040438-1920x1072.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An aerial view shows a flooded neighborhood in the unincorporated community of Pajaro in Watsonville, on March 11, 2023. Residents were forced to evacuate in the middle of the night after an atmospheric river storm surge broke the Pajaro levee and sent floodwaters flowing into the community. \u003ccite>(Josh Edelson/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I think we need to step up our efforts to help those who are undocumented and can’t earn a paycheck because of the current rains and floods,” said Assemblymember Miguel Santiago, a Democrat representing Los Angeles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He is co-sponsoring \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB227\">Senate Bill 227\u003c/a> to provide \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/california-divide/2023/02/california-safety-net/\">unemployment benefits\u003c/a> to undocumented Californians. About \u003ca href=\"https://clc.ucmerced.edu/sites/clc.ucmerced.edu/files/page/documents/fwhs_report_2.2.2383.pdf?_gl=1*pc2ynm*_ga*MTQ2ODM4OTYwMC4xNjc1Mzg4NTc3*_ga_TSE2LSBDQZ*MTY3ODg0OTMxNC4zLjEuMTY3ODg0OTMyMS41My4wLjA.\">6 in 10 farmworkers are not eligible for unemployment benefits (PDF)\u003c/a>, according to studies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Santiago said the current situation is frustrating because he has advocated for years for more safety-net programs that could have helped families hurt by the flooding. If such legislation were in place, he said, “we’d be able to have a place where we could go get people some financial relief.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "‘I think we need to step up our efforts to help those who are undocumented and can’t earn a paycheck because of the current rains and floods.’",
"name": "pullquote",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"size": "medium",
"align": "right",
"citation": "Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles)",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Assemblymember Robert Rivas of Salinas, chosen by his fellow Democrats to be the next Assembly Speaker, noted in a statement to CalMatters that undocumented workers typically don’t qualify for federal assistance funds for emergency housing, home repairs, personal property loss, funeral expenses and other aid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My office, in collaboration with other legislative offices, is exploring immediate legislative and budget action to provide relief for these vulnerable communities,” Rivas said, noting that the workers also had been ineligible for many COVID-19 relief programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state began filling some of that gap during the pandemic. Undocumented workers were eligible for $1,700 in state funds: a $500 COVID-19 disaster relief prepaid card and $1,200 from the Golden State Stimulus Fund.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tuesday afternoon, groups of people remained in tents along the flooded Pajaro River. Despite large federal and state housing budgets, many of those people don’t have homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many farmworker families in the flooded region are undocumented, from Indigenous groups, and don’t speak either English or Spanish well, said Eloy Ortiz, board member for the Watsonville-based \u003ca href=\"https://farmworkerfamily.org/board-of-directors\">Center for Farmworker Families\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That complicates attempts to apply for assistance on behalf of the legal residents in their household. Some were rejected when they applied for aid in January, Ortiz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The folks who have been flooded out, if it were a normal year, they’d be starting to go back to the fields to work right now,” Ortiz said. “And now they will probably not be able to go back for months.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "California Storm Coverage ",
"tag": "california-storm"
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than 20,000 acres of agricultural land in Monterey County will likely sit fallow because of stormwater contamination, noted Monterey County Supervisor Luis Alejo, a former Assembly member from Watsonville, in a tweet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These are low-income Latino families, and the start of the harvest season for strawberries, raspberries and other crops is in March. Now farmworkers will be out of work,” he wrote Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I urge our state leaders to provide aid in the state budget for undocumented flood victims who do not qualify for FEMA assistance & additional relief for farmworkers who will be out of work due to flooded ag fields and not qualifying for unemployment insurance,” he wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The financial pain they will face will be severe & prolonged!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As many as 8,500 people were under flood evacuation warnings in Monterey County over the weekend. The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services \u003ca href=\"https://news.caloes.ca.gov/shelters-available-for-residents-impacted-by-march-storms-03-14-23/\">reported that more than 300 people had stayed in five shelters across Santa Cruz and Monterey counties\u003c/a> Monday night, the vast majority taking shelter at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "singleTwitterStatus",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"id": "1635917913394937857"
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>In Salinas, Hackett, 32, said her choice was simple as the storm bore down: save herself, or say goodbye to a crop that has already weathered a steep drop in prices and other industry pressures. At least 56 cannabis businesses have closed in Monterey County in recent years, according to a recent estimate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the water rose Friday morning, Hackett and her team who normally would be busy trimming plants or readying retail products instead shut down early to reinforce storm ditches and forge cement slabs into an impromptu flood wall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, as another storm knocked out power at her two adjacent 10-acre farms, Hackett said she is unaware of any aid available for cannabis businesses affected by flooding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Ideally if we were any other business, we would have immediately had help,” Hackett said. “Whether it be the county, whether it be the state — someone needs to be held accountable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Longer term, Hackett said she fears climate change and economic obstacles will point her industry toward the same downward trajectory that wiped out many of the flower growers who once thrived in the same Monterey County greenhouses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11943673\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11943673\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS21243_Grow-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Rows of bright green cannabis plants inside a greenhouse during the daytime.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS21243_Grow-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS21243_Grow-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS21243_Grow-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS21243_Grow-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS21243_Grow-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS21243_Grow-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS21243_Grow-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The inside of a cannabis greenhouse. \u003ccite>(Sam Harnett/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She isn’t alone in her frustrations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Joey Espinoza, a Salinas-raised cannabis compliance consultant, said several of his clients were directly affected by floodwaters, including one grower who had to evacuate plants from a flooded greenhouse. Even while the ground was still muddy, he said, many cannabis farmers have turned their attention to other pressing challenges in the industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As cannabis remains illegal at the national level, Espinoza said, local growers shut out of federal financial aid are now confronting storm damage after a collapse in cannabis prices and while facing a tight deadline to apply for new state licenses by the end of the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Industry advocates say\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2023/02/emerald-triangle-cannabis-communities/\"> the economic turmoil\u003c/a> stems from a mix of overproduction of legal and illegal cannabis, as well as ever-changing taxes and regulations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s layers of issues with all of this,” Espinoza said. “And the thing to remember is, there’s not gonna be a lot of relief for cannabis in terms of FEMA and things like that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was unclear exactly what the state might do.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Department of Cannabis Control told CalMatters that, under current state law, \u003ca href=\"https://cannabis.ca.gov/resources/disaster-relief-programs/\">cannabis businesses affected by disasters may apply for temporary waivers of license requirements\u003c/a> if they become unable to meet regulatory requirements. State \u003ca href=\"https://cannabis.ca.gov/applicants/application-resources/\">licensing rules\u003c/a> govern everything from sometimes-costly infrastructure requirements to the way products are transported and secured.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and aim to provide regulatory relief to licensees for impacts related to issues including flooding,” said David Hafner, department spokesperson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the past the \u003ca href=\"https://cannabis.ca.gov/2021/09/disaster-relief-for-cannabis-businesses-affected-by-fires/\">department has offered support for cannabis growers\u003c/a> affected by wildfires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Few lawmakers voiced ideas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the meantime, some residents took matters into their own hands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gabino Orozco Avila was getting ready to serve dinner to neighbors gathered on a walkway above the rushing Pajaro River late Tuesday afternoon, a stone’s throw from his daughter’s home in Pajaro. While his daughter remained evacuated, Avila, owner of a longtime food business, Tacos Los Jacona — a nod to his Michoacán hometown — had prepared carne asada, rice and beans for the community that had long supported him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Now that people need me,” he said in Spanish, “I’ll be here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/11943590/thousands-of-californians-arent-eligible-for-federal-aid-after-storms-heres-why",
"authors": [
"byline_news_11943590"
],
"categories": [
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_4092",
"news_20061",
"news_18538",
"news_31961",
"news_19963",
"news_18269",
"news_3431",
"news_16",
"news_102",
"news_32519",
"news_32380"
],
"affiliates": [
"news_18481"
],
"featImg": "news_11943666",
"label": "news_18481"
}
},
"podcastsReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"podcasts": {}
},
"radioProgramsReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"radioPrograms": {}
},
"programsReducer": {
"all-things-considered": {
"id": "all-things-considered",
"title": "All Things Considered",
"info": "Every weekday, \u003cem>All Things Considered\u003c/em> hosts Robert Siegel, Audie Cornish, Ari Shapiro, and Kelly McEvers present the program's trademark mix of news, interviews, commentaries, reviews, and offbeat features. Michel Martin hosts on the weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 1pm-2pm, 4:30pm-6:30pm\u003cbr />SAT-SUN 5pm-6pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/All-Things-Considered-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/all-things-considered"
},
"american-suburb-podcast": {
"id": "american-suburb-podcast",
"title": "American Suburb: The Podcast",
"tagline": "The flip side of gentrification, told through one town",
"info": "Gentrification is changing cities across America, forcing people from neighborhoods they have long called home. Call them the displaced. Now those priced out of the Bay Area are looking for a better life in an unlikely place. American Suburb follows this migration to one California town along the Delta, 45 miles from San Francisco. But is this once sleepy suburb ready for them?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/American-Suburb-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/american-suburb-podcast",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 19
},
"link": "/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/RBrW",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=1287748328",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/American-Suburb-p1086805/",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/feed/podcast",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMzMDExODgxNjA5"
}
},
"baycurious": {
"id": "baycurious",
"title": "Bay Curious",
"tagline": "Exploring the Bay Area, one question at a time",
"info": "KQED’s new podcast, Bay Curious, gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Bay-Curious-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Bay Curious",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/baycurious",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 3
},
"link": "/podcasts/baycurious",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/category/bay-curious-podcast/feed/podcast",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9a90d476-aa04-455d-9a4c-0871ed6216d4/bay-curious",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/bay-curious",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/6O76IdmhixfijmhTZLIJ8k"
}
},
"bbc-world-service": {
"id": "bbc-world-service",
"title": "BBC World Service",
"info": "The day's top stories from BBC News compiled twice daily in the week, once at weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9pm-10pm, TUE-FRI 1am-2am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/BBC-World-Service-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_world_service",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "BBC World Service"
},
"link": "/radio/program/bbc-world-service",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/global-news-podcast/id135067274?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/BBC-World-Service-p455581/",
"rss": "https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/p02nq0gn.rss"
}
},
"californiareport": {
"id": "californiareport",
"title": "The California Report",
"tagline": "California, day by day",
"info": "KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareport",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 8
},
"link": "/californiareport",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-the-california-report/id79681292",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/26099305-72af-4542-9dde-ac1807fe36d5/kqed-s-the-california-report",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432285393/the-california-report",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-the-california-report-podcast-8838",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcram/feed/podcast"
}
},
"californiareportmagazine": {
"id": "californiareportmagazine",
"title": "The California Report Magazine",
"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
"airtime": "FRI 4:30pm-5pm, 6:30pm-7pm, 11pm-11:30pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Magazine-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report Magazine",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 10
},
"link": "/californiareportmagazine",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-california-report-magazine/id1314750545",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/564733126/the-california-report-magazine",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-california-report-magazine",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcrmag/feed/podcast"
}
},
"city-arts": {
"id": "city-arts",
"title": "City Arts & Lectures",
"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.cityarts.net/",
"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
"subscribe": {
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/City-Arts-and-Lectures-p692/",
"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
"title": "Close All Tabs",
"tagline": "Your irreverent guide to the trends redefining our world",
"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CAT_2_Tile-scaled.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Close All Tabs",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 1
},
"link": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/close-all-tabs/id214663465",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC6993880386",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/92d9d4ac-67a3-4eed-b10a-fb45d45b1ef2/close-all-tabs",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/6LAJFHnGK1pYXYzv6SIol6?si=deb0cae19813417c"
}
},
"code-switch-life-kit": {
"id": "code-switch-life-kit",
"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
"airtime": "SUN 9pm-10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Code-Switch-Life-Kit-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/code-switch-life-kit",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/1112190608?mt=2&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3bExJ9JQpkwNhoHvaIIuyV",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510312/podcast.xml"
}
},
"commonwealth-club": {
"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.commonwealthclub.org/podcasts",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/commonwealth-club-of-california-podcast/id976334034?mt=2",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Commonwealth-Club-of-California-p1060/"
}
},
"forum": {
"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/forum",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
"link": "/forum",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-forum/id73329719",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432307980/forum",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-forum-podcast",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9557381633"
}
},
"freakonomics-radio": {
"id": "freakonomics-radio",
"title": "Freakonomics Radio",
"info": "Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"
}
},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Fresh-Air-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/fresh-air",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Fresh-Air-p17/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
}
},
"here-and-now": {
"id": "here-and-now",
"title": "Here & Now",
"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
"airtime": "MON-THU 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Here-And-Now-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/here-and-now",
"subsdcribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=426698661",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Here--Now-p211/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
}
},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/hiddenbrain.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain",
"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-brain/id1028908750?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Science-Podcasts/Hidden-Brain-p787503/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510308/podcast.xml"
}
},
"how-i-built-this": {
"id": "how-i-built-this",
"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/How-I-Built-This-p910896/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"
}
},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
"imageAlt": "KQED Hyphenación",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hyphenaci%C3%B3n/id1191591838",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
"youtube": "https://www.youtube.com/c/kqedarts",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/6c3dd23c-93fb-4aab-97ba-1725fa6315f1/hyphenaci%C3%B3n",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC2275451163"
}
},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/790253322/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/jerrybrown/feed/podcast/",
"tuneIn": "http://tun.in/pjGcK",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/54C1dmuyFyKMFttY6X2j6r?si=K8SgRCoISNK6ZbjpXrX5-w",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/44420f75-3b0e-4301-ab3b-16da6b09e543/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown"
}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/xtTd",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Latino-USA-p621/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201853034&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/APM-Marketplace-p88/",
"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Masters-of-Scale-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindshift-podcast/id1078765985",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/464615685/mind-shift-podcast",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0MxSpNYZKNprFLCl7eEtyx"
}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/onourwatch",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0OLWoyizopu6tY1XiuX70x",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-Our-Watch-p1436229/",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/show/on-our-watch",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
}
},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
"title": "Perspectives",
"tagline": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991",
"info": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Perspectives_Tile_Final.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Perspectives",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/perspectives/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 14
},
"link": "/perspectives",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id73801135",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432309616/perspectives",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/perspectives/category/perspectives/feed/",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvcGVyc3BlY3RpdmVzL2NhdGVnb3J5L3BlcnNwZWN0aXZlcy9mZWVkLw"
}
},
"planet-money": {
"id": "planet-money",
"title": "Planet Money",
"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/sections/money/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/M4f5",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Business--Economics-Podcasts/Planet-Money-p164680/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510289/podcast.xml"
}
},
"politicalbreakdown": {
"id": "politicalbreakdown",
"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Political Breakdown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 5
},
"link": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-breakdown/id1327641087",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e0c2d153-ad36-4c8d-901d-f1da6a724824/political-breakdown",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/572155894/political-breakdown",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/political-breakdown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/07RVyIjIdk2WDuVehvBMoN",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/political-breakdown/feed/podcast"
}
},
"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/possible/id1677184070",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
}
},
"pri-the-world": {
"id": "pri-the-world",
"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pri.org/programs/the-world",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "PRI"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pri-the-world",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pris-the-world-latest-edition/id278196007?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/PRIs-The-World-p24/",
"rss": "http://feeds.feedburner.com/pri/theworld"
}
},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
"airtime": "SUN 12am-1am, SAT 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/radiolab1400.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/radiolab/",
"meta": {
"site": "science",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/radiolab",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/radiolab/id152249110?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/RadioLab-p68032/",
"rss": "https://feeds.wnyc.org/radiolab"
}
},
"reveal": {
"id": "reveal",
"title": "Reveal",
"info": "Created by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, Reveal is public radios first one-hour weekly radio show and podcast dedicated to investigative reporting. Credible, fact based and without a partisan agenda, Reveal combines the power and artistry of driveway moment storytelling with data-rich reporting on critically important issues. The result is stories that inform and inspire, arming our listeners with information to right injustices, hold the powerful accountable and improve lives.Reveal is hosted by Al Letson and showcases the award-winning work of CIR and newsrooms large and small across the nation. In a radio and podcast market crowded with choices, Reveal focuses on important and often surprising stories that illuminate the world for our listeners.",
"airtime": "SAT 4pm-5pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/reveal300px.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.revealnews.org/episodes/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/reveal",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/reveal/id886009669",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Reveal-p679597/",
"rss": "http://feeds.revealradio.org/revealpodcast"
}
},
"rightnowish": {
"id": "rightnowish",
"title": "Rightnowish",
"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Rightnowish-Podcast-Tile-500x500-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Rightnowish with Pendarvis Harshaw",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 16
},
"link": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/programs/rightnowish/feed/podcast",
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMxMjU5MTY3NDc4",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I"
}
},
"science-friday": {
"id": "science-friday",
"title": "Science Friday",
"info": "Science Friday is a weekly science talk show, broadcast live over public radio stations nationwide. Each week, the show focuses on science topics that are in the news and tries to bring an educated, balanced discussion to bear on the scientific issues at hand. Panels of expert guests join host Ira Flatow, a veteran science journalist, to discuss science and to take questions from listeners during the call-in portion of the program.",
"airtime": "FRI 11am-1pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Science-Friday-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/science-friday",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/science-friday",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=73329284&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Science-Friday-p394/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/science-friday"
}
},
"snap-judgment": {
"id": "snap-judgment",
"title": "Snap Judgment",
"tagline": "Real stories with killer beats",
"info": "The Snap Judgment radio show and podcast mixes real stories with killer beats to produce cinematic, dramatic radio. Snap's musical brand of storytelling dares listeners to see the world through the eyes of another. This is storytelling... with a BEAT!! Snap first aired on public radio stations nationwide in July 2010. Today, Snap Judgment airs on over 450 public radio stations and is brought to the airwaves by KQED & PRX.",
"airtime": "SAT 1pm-2pm, 9pm-10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Snap-Judgment-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Snap Judgment",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://snapjudgment.org",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 4
},
"link": "https://snapjudgment.org",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/snap-judgment/id283657561",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/449018144/snap-judgment",
"stitcher": "https://www.pandora.com/podcast/snap-judgment/PC:241?source=stitcher-sunset",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3Cct7ZWmxHNAtLgBTqjC5v",
"rss": "https://snap.feed.snapjudgment.org/"
}
},
"soldout": {
"id": "soldout",
"title": "SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America",
"tagline": "A new future for housing",
"info": "Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sold-Out-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/soldout",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 13
},
"link": "/podcasts/soldout",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/911586047/s-o-l-d-o-u-t-a-new-future-for-housing",
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/introducing-sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america/id1531354937",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/soldout",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/38dTBSk2ISFoPiyYNoKn1X",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america",
"tunein": "https://tunein.com/radio/SOLD-OUT-Rethinking-Housing-in-America-p1365871/"
}
},
"spooked": {
"id": "spooked",
"title": "Spooked",
"tagline": "True-life supernatural stories",
"info": "",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Spooked-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Spooked",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://spookedpodcast.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 7
},
"link": "https://spookedpodcast.org/",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spooked/id1279361017",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/549547848/snap-judgment-presents-spooked",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/76571Rfl3m7PLJQZKQIGCT",
"rss": "https://feeds.simplecast.com/TBotaapn"
}
},
"tech-nation": {
"id": "tech-nation",
"title": "Tech Nation Radio Podcast",
"info": "Tech Nation is a weekly public radio program, hosted by Dr. Moira Gunn. Founded in 1993, it has grown from a simple interview show to a multi-faceted production, featuring conversations with noted technology and science leaders, and a weekly science and technology-related commentary.",
"airtime": "FRI 10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Tech-Nation-Radio-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://technation.podomatic.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "science",
"source": "Tech Nation Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/tech-nation",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://technation.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"
}
},
"ted-radio-hour": {
"id": "ted-radio-hour",
"title": "TED Radio Hour",
"info": "The TED Radio Hour is a journey through fascinating ideas, astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ways to think and create.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm, SAT 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/tedRadioHour.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/?showDate=2018-06-22",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/ted-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/8vsS",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=523121474&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/TED-Radio-Hour-p418021/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510298/podcast.xml"
}
},
"thebay": {
"id": "thebay",
"title": "The Bay",
"tagline": "Local news to keep you rooted",
"info": "Host Devin Katayama walks you through the biggest story of the day with reporters and newsmakers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Bay-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Bay",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/thebay",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 2
},
"link": "/podcasts/thebay",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bay/id1350043452",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d800ea4c-7a2c-42f2-b861-edaf78a5db0b/the-bay",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/586725995/the-bay",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-bay",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/4BIKBKIujizLHlIlBNaAqQ",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC8259786327"
}
},
"thelatest": {
"id": "thelatest",
"title": "The Latest",
"tagline": "Trusted local news in real time",
"info": "",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/The-Latest-2025-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Latest",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/thelatest",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 6
},
"link": "/thelatest",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-latest-from-kqed/id1197721799",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/1257949365/the-latest-from-k-q-e-d",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/5KIIXMgM9GTi5AepwOYvIZ?si=bd3053fec7244dba",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9137121918"
}
},
"theleap": {
"id": "theleap",
"title": "The Leap",
"tagline": "What if you closed your eyes, and jumped?",
"info": "Stories about people making dramatic, risky changes, told by award-winning public radio reporter Judy Campbell.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Leap-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Leap",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/theleap",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 17
},
"link": "/podcasts/theleap",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leap/id1046668171",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/447248267/the-leap",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-leap",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3sSlVHHzU0ytLwuGs1SD1U",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/programs/the-leap/feed/podcast"
}
},
"the-moth-radio-hour": {
"id": "the-moth-radio-hour",
"title": "The Moth Radio Hour",
"info": "Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented thousands of true stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. Moth storytellers stand alone, under a spotlight, with only a microphone and a roomful of strangers. The storyteller and the audience embark on a high-wire act of shared experience which is both terrifying and exhilarating. Since 2008, The Moth podcast has featured many of our favorite stories told live on Moth stages around the country. For information on all of our programs and live events, visit themoth.org.",
"airtime": "SAT 8pm-9pm and SUN 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/theMoth.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://themoth.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "prx"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-moth-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-moth-podcast/id275699983?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/The-Moth-p273888/",
"rss": "http://feeds.themoth.org/themothpodcast"
}
},
"the-new-yorker-radio-hour": {
"id": "the-new-yorker-radio-hour",
"title": "The New Yorker Radio Hour",
"info": "The New Yorker Radio Hour is a weekly program presented by the magazine's editor, David Remnick, and produced by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker. Each episode features a diverse mix of interviews, profiles, storytelling, and an occasional burst of humor inspired by the magazine, and shaped by its writers, artists, and editors. This isn't a radio version of a magazine, but something all its own, reflecting the rich possibilities of audio storytelling and conversation. Theme music for the show was composed and performed by Merrill Garbus of tUnE-YArDs.",
"airtime": "SAT 10am-11am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-New-Yorker-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/tnyradiohour",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-new-yorker-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1050430296",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/New-Yorker-Radio-Hour-p803804/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/newyorkerradiohour"
}
},
"the-sam-sanders-show": {
"id": "the-sam-sanders-show",
"title": "The Sam Sanders Show",
"info": "One of public radio's most dynamic voices, Sam Sanders helped launch The NPR Politics Podcast and hosted NPR's hit show It's Been A Minute. Now, the award-winning host returns with something brand new, The Sam Sanders Show. Every week, Sam Sanders and friends dig into the culture that shapes our lives: what's driving the biggest trends, how artists really think, and even the memes you can't stop scrolling past. Sam is beloved for his way of unpacking the world and bringing you up close to fresh currents and engaging conversations. The Sam Sanders Show is smart, funny and always a good time.",
"airtime": "FRI 12-1pm AND SAT 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/The-Sam-Sanders-Show-Podcast-Tile-400x400-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.kcrw.com/shows/the-sam-sanders-show/latest",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "KCRW"
},
"link": "https://www.kcrw.com/shows/the-sam-sanders-show/latest",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://feed.cdnstream1.com/zjb/feed/download/ac/28/59/ac28594c-e1d0-4231-8728-61865cdc80e8.xml"
}
},
"the-splendid-table": {
"id": "the-splendid-table",
"title": "The Splendid Table",
"info": "\u003cem>The Splendid Table\u003c/em> hosts our nation's conversations about cooking, sustainability and food culture.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Splendid-Table-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.splendidtable.org/",
"airtime": "SUN 10-11 pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-splendid-table"
},
"this-american-life": {
"id": "this-american-life",
"title": "This American Life",
"info": "This American Life is a weekly public radio show, heard by 2.2 million people on more than 500 stations. Another 2.5 million people download the weekly podcast. It is hosted by Ira Glass, produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media, delivered to stations by PRX The Public Radio Exchange, and has won all of the major broadcasting awards.",
"airtime": "SAT 12pm-1pm, 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/thisAmericanLife.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.thisamericanlife.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wbez"
},
"link": "/radio/program/this-american-life",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201671138&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"rss": "https://www.thisamericanlife.org/podcast/rss.xml"
}
},
"tinydeskradio": {
"id": "tinydeskradio",
"title": "Tiny Desk Radio",
"info": "We're bringing the best of Tiny Desk to the airwaves, only on public radio.",
"airtime": "SUN 8pm and SAT 9pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/300x300-For-Member-Station-Logo-Tiny-Desk-Radio-@2x.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/g-s1-52030/tiny-desk-radio",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/tinydeskradio",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/g-s1-52030/rss.xml"
}
},
"wait-wait-dont-tell-me": {
"id": "wait-wait-dont-tell-me",
"title": "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!",
"info": "Peter Sagal and Bill Kurtis host the weekly NPR News quiz show alongside some of the best and brightest news and entertainment personalities.",
"airtime": "SUN 10am-11am, SAT 11am-12pm, SAT 6pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Wait-Wait-Podcast-Tile-300x300-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/wait-wait-dont-tell-me",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/Xogv",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=121493804&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Wait-Wait-Dont-Tell-Me-p46/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/344098539/podcast.xml"
}
},
"weekend-edition-saturday": {
"id": "weekend-edition-saturday",
"title": "Weekend Edition Saturday",
"info": "Weekend Edition Saturday wraps up the week's news and offers a mix of analysis and features on a wide range of topics, including arts, sports, entertainment, and human interest stories. The two-hour program is hosted by NPR's Peabody Award-winning Scott Simon.",
"airtime": "SAT 5am-10am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-saturday/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/weekend-edition-saturday"
},
"weekend-edition-sunday": {
"id": "weekend-edition-sunday",
"title": "Weekend Edition Sunday",
"info": "Weekend Edition Sunday features interviews with newsmakers, artists, scientists, politicians, musicians, writers, theologians and historians. The program has covered news events from Nelson Mandela's 1990 release from a South African prison to the capture of Saddam Hussein.",
"airtime": "SUN 5am-10am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-sunday/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/weekend-edition-sunday"
}
},
"racesReducer": {},
"racesGenElectionReducer": {},
"racesGenElection2026Reducer": {},
"radioSchedulesReducer": {},
"listsReducer": {
"posts/news?tag=flooding": {
"isFetching": false,
"latestQuery": {
"from": 36,
"size": 12
},
"vitalsOnly": false,
"totalRequested": 12,
"isLoading": false,
"isLoadingMore": true,
"total": {
"value": 108,
"relation": "eq"
},
"items": [
"news_11957293",
"news_11955083",
"news_11951923",
"news_11948668",
"news_11949138",
"news_11948072",
"news_11946922",
"news_11945113",
"news_11944877",
"news_11944595",
"news_11944098",
"news_11943590"
],
"complete": true
}
},
"recallGuideReducer": {
"intros": {},
"policy": {},
"candidates": {}
},
"savedArticleReducer": {
"articles": [],
"status": {}
},
"newslettersReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"newsletters": {},
"isSubscribing": false,
"isUnsubscribing": false,
"subscribedNewsletters": {}
},
"termsReducer": {
"about": {
"name": "About",
"type": "terms",
"id": "about",
"slug": "about",
"link": "/about",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"arts": {
"name": "Arts & Culture",
"grouping": [
"arts",
"pop",
"trulyca"
],
"description": "KQED Arts provides daily in-depth coverage of the Bay Area's music, art, film, performing arts, literature and arts news, as well as cultural commentary and criticism.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts",
"slug": "arts",
"link": "/arts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"artschool": {
"name": "Art School",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "artschool",
"slug": "artschool",
"link": "/artschool",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"bayareabites": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "bayareabites",
"slug": "bayareabites",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"bayareahiphop": {
"name": "Bay Area Hiphop",
"type": "terms",
"id": "bayareahiphop",
"slug": "bayareahiphop",
"link": "/bayareahiphop",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"campaign21": {
"name": "Campaign 21",
"type": "terms",
"id": "campaign21",
"slug": "campaign21",
"link": "/campaign21",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"careers": {
"name": "Careers",
"type": "terms",
"id": "careers",
"slug": "careers",
"link": "/careers",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"checkplease": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "checkplease",
"slug": "checkplease",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"education": {
"name": "Education",
"grouping": [
"education"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "education",
"slug": "education",
"link": "/education",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"elections": {
"name": "Elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "elections",
"slug": "elections",
"link": "/elections",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"events": {
"name": "Events",
"type": "terms",
"id": "events",
"slug": "events",
"link": "/events",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"event": {
"name": "Event",
"alias": "events",
"type": "terms",
"id": "event",
"slug": "event",
"link": "/event",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"filmschoolshorts": {
"name": "Film School Shorts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "filmschoolshorts",
"slug": "filmschoolshorts",
"link": "/filmschoolshorts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"food": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "food",
"slug": "food",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"forum": {
"name": "Forum",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/forum?",
"parent": "news",
"type": "terms",
"id": "forum",
"slug": "forum",
"link": "/forum",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"futureofyou": {
"name": "Future of You",
"grouping": [
"science",
"futureofyou"
],
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "futureofyou",
"slug": "futureofyou",
"link": "/futureofyou",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"jpepinheart": {
"name": "KQED food",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/food,bayareabites,checkplease",
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "jpepinheart",
"slug": "jpepinheart",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"liveblog": {
"name": "Live Blog",
"type": "terms",
"id": "liveblog",
"slug": "liveblog",
"link": "/liveblog",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"livetv": {
"name": "Live TV",
"parent": "tv",
"type": "terms",
"id": "livetv",
"slug": "livetv",
"link": "/livetv",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"lowdown": {
"name": "The Lowdown",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/lowdown?",
"parent": "news",
"type": "terms",
"id": "lowdown",
"slug": "lowdown",
"link": "/lowdown",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"mindshift": {
"name": "Mindshift",
"parent": "news",
"description": "MindShift explores the future of education by highlighting the innovative – and sometimes counterintuitive – ways educators and parents are helping all children succeed.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift",
"slug": "mindshift",
"link": "/mindshift",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"news": {
"name": "News",
"grouping": [
"news",
"forum"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "news",
"slug": "news",
"link": "/news",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"newsletters": {
"name": "newsletters",
"type": "terms",
"id": "newsletters",
"slug": "newsletters",
"link": "/newsletters",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"perspectives": {
"name": "Perspectives",
"parent": "radio",
"type": "terms",
"id": "perspectives",
"slug": "perspectives",
"link": "/perspectives",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"podcasts": {
"name": "Podcasts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "podcasts",
"slug": "podcasts",
"link": "/podcasts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"pop": {
"name": "Pop",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "pop",
"slug": "pop",
"link": "/pop",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"pressroom": {
"name": "Pressroom",
"type": "terms",
"id": "pressroom",
"slug": "pressroom",
"link": "/pressroom",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"quest": {
"name": "Quest",
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "quest",
"slug": "quest",
"link": "/quest",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"radio": {
"name": "Radio",
"grouping": [
"forum",
"perspectives"
],
"description": "Listen to KQED Public Radio – home of Forum and The California Report – on 88.5 FM in San Francisco, 89.3 FM in Sacramento, 88.3 FM in Santa Rosa and 88.1 FM in Martinez.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "radio",
"slug": "radio",
"link": "/radio",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"root": {
"name": "KQED",
"image": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"imageWidth": 1200,
"imageHeight": 630,
"headData": {
"title": "KQED | News, Radio, Podcasts, TV | Public Media for Northern California",
"description": "KQED provides public radio, television, and independent reporting on issues that matter to the Bay Area. We’re the NPR and PBS member station for Northern California."
},
"type": "terms",
"id": "root",
"slug": "root",
"link": "/root",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"science": {
"name": "Science",
"grouping": [
"science",
"futureofyou"
],
"description": "KQED Science brings you award-winning science and environment coverage from the Bay Area and beyond.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "science",
"slug": "science",
"link": "/science",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"stateofhealth": {
"name": "State of Health",
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth",
"slug": "stateofhealth",
"link": "/stateofhealth",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"support": {
"name": "Support",
"type": "terms",
"id": "support",
"slug": "support",
"link": "/support",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"thedolist": {
"name": "The Do List",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "thedolist",
"slug": "thedolist",
"link": "/thedolist",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"trulyca": {
"name": "Truly CA",
"grouping": [
"arts",
"pop",
"trulyca"
],
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "trulyca",
"slug": "trulyca",
"link": "/trulyca",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"tv": {
"name": "TV",
"type": "terms",
"id": "tv",
"slug": "tv",
"link": "/tv",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"voterguide": {
"name": "Voter Guide",
"parent": "elections",
"alias": "elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "voterguide",
"slug": "voterguide",
"link": "/voterguide",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"guiaelectoral": {
"name": "Guia Electoral",
"parent": "elections",
"alias": "elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "guiaelectoral",
"slug": "guiaelectoral",
"link": "/guiaelectoral",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"news_tag_flooding": {
"isLoading": true
},
"news_3431": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_3431",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "3431",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Flooding",
"slug": "flooding",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Flooding | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 3449,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/flooding"
},
"source_news_11948668": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_news_11948668",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "The California Report Magazine",
"link": "https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/tcrmag",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_news_11946922": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_news_11946922",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "CalMatters",
"link": "https://calmatters.org",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_news_11944595": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_news_11944595",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "The Bay",
"link": "https://www.kqed.org/podcasts/thebay",
"isLoading": false
},
"news_6266": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_6266",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "6266",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Housing",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Housing Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 6290,
"slug": "housing",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/housing"
},
"news_8": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_8",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "8",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "News",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "News Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 8,
"slug": "news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/news"
},
"news_3921": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_3921",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "3921",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "affordable housing",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "affordable housing Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3940,
"slug": "affordable-housing",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/affordable-housing"
},
"news_18538": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18538",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18538",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "California",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "California Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 31,
"slug": "california",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/california"
},
"news_27626": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_27626",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "27626",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "featured-news",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "featured-news Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 27643,
"slug": "featured-news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/featured-news"
},
"news_16": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_16",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "16",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Gavin Newsom",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Gavin Newsom Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 16,
"slug": "gavin-newsom",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/gavin-newsom"
},
"news_1775": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1775",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1775",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "housing",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "housing Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1790,
"slug": "housing",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/housing"
},
"news_21358": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_21358",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "21358",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "housing crisis",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "housing crisis Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21375,
"slug": "housing-crisis",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/housing-crisis"
},
"news_881": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_881",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "881",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Natural Disasters",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Natural Disasters Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 891,
"slug": "natural-disasters",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/natural-disasters"
},
"news_4463": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_4463",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "4463",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "wildfires",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "wildfires Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 4482,
"slug": "wildfires",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/wildfires"
},
"news_72": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_72",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "72",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2014/10/TCR-2-Logo-Web-Banners-03.png",
"name": "The California Report",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "program",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "The California Report Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 6969,
"slug": "the-california-report",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/program/the-california-report"
},
"news_34165": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_34165",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "34165",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Climate",
"slug": "climate",
"taxonomy": "category",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Climate Archives | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 34182,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/climate"
},
"news_19906": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_19906",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "19906",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Environment",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Environment Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 19923,
"slug": "environment",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/environment"
},
"news_457": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_457",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "457",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Health",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Health Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 16998,
"slug": "health",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/health"
},
"news_255": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_255",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "255",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "climate change",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "climate change Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 263,
"slug": "climate-change",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/climate-change"
},
"news_18269": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18269",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18269",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "farmworkers",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "farmworkers Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 18303,
"slug": "farmworkers",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/farmworkers"
},
"news_5525": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_5525",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "5525",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "high temperatures",
"slug": "high-temperatures",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "high temperatures | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null,
"metaRobotsNoIndex": "noindex"
},
"ttid": 5548,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/high-temperatures"
},
"news_32889": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_32889",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "32889",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "immigrant farmworkers",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "immigrant farmworkers Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 32906,
"slug": "immigrant-farmworkers",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/immigrant-farmworkers"
},
"news_18159": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18159",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18159",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "insurance",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "insurance Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 18193,
"slug": "insurance",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/insurance"
},
"news_18481": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18481",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18481",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "CALmatters",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "affiliate",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "CALmatters Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 18515,
"slug": "calmatters",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/affiliate/calmatters"
},
"news_26731": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_26731",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "26731",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "The California Report Magazine",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "program",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "The California Report Magazine Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 26748,
"slug": "the-california-report-magazine",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/program/the-california-report-magazine"
},
"news_31795": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_31795",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "31795",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "California",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "California Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 31812,
"slug": "california",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/california"
},
"news_311": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_311",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "311",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Central Valley",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Central Valley Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 319,
"slug": "central-valley",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/central-valley"
},
"news_1425": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1425",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1425",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "music",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "music Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1437,
"slug": "music",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/music"
},
"news_467": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_467",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "467",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "snowpack",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "snowpack Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 476,
"slug": "snowpack",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/snowpack"
},
"news_31595": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_31595",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "31595",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "allensworth",
"slug": "allensworth",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "allensworth | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null,
"metaRobotsNoIndex": "noindex"
},
"ttid": 31612,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/allensworth"
},
"news_20023": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_20023",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "20023",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "environment",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "environment Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20040,
"slug": "environment",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/environment"
},
"news_29941": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_29941",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "29941",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Tulare County",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Tulare County Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 29958,
"slug": "tulare-county",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/tulare-county"
},
"news_7052": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_7052",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "7052",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {
"ogImgId": {
"data": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_117396"
}
}
},
"featImg": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2014/10/KQED-Newsroom-Logo-Web-Banners-051.png",
"name": "KQED Newsroom",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "program",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": "KQED Newsroom",
"ogImgId": "news_117396",
"twDescription": null,
"description": "KQED Newsroom airs every Friday on KQED-9",
"title": "KQED Newsroom | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": "KQED Newsroom is our weekly show highlighting the issues that matter most to the people of Northern California."
},
"ttid": 7078,
"slug": "kqed-newsroom",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/program/kqed-newsroom"
},
"news_223": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_223",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "223",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Arts and Culture",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Arts and Culture Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 231,
"slug": "arts-and-culture",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/arts-and-culture"
},
"news_356": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_356",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "356",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Science",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Science Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 364,
"slug": "science",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/science"
},
"news_25641": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_25641",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "25641",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Youth Takeover",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Youth Takeover Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 25658,
"slug": "youth-takeover",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/youth-takeover"
},
"news_20447": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_20447",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "20447",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "California water",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "California water Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20464,
"slug": "california-water",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/california-water"
},
"news_24620": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_24620",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "24620",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Dan Brekke",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Dan Brekke Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 24637,
"slug": "dan-brekke",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/dan-brekke"
},
"news_32298": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_32298",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "32298",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Gerry Diaz",
"slug": "gerry-diaz",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Gerry Diaz | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null,
"metaRobotsNoIndex": "noindex"
},
"ttid": 32315,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/gerry-diaz"
},
"news_29548": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_29548",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "29548",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "HIV/AIDS",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "HIV/AIDS Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 29565,
"slug": "hiv-aids",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/hiv-aids"
},
"news_4794": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_4794",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "4794",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "mount diablo",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "mount diablo Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 4813,
"slug": "mount-diablo",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/mount-diablo"
},
"news_21950": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_21950",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "21950",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "nature",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "nature Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21967,
"slug": "nature",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/nature"
},
"news_312": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_312",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "312",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "San Joaquin Valley",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "San Joaquin Valley Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 320,
"slug": "san-joaquin-valley",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/san-joaquin-valley"
},
"news_23013": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_23013",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "23013",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Youth Takeover",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Youth Takeover Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 23030,
"slug": "youth-takeover",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/youth-takeover"
},
"news_18163": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18163",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18163",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Farmers",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Farmers Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 18197,
"slug": "farmers",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/farmers"
},
"news_28250": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_28250",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "28250",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Local",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Local Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 28267,
"slug": "local",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/local"
},
"news_32707": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_32707",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "32707",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "audience-news",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "audience-news Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 32724,
"slug": "audience-news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/audience-news"
},
"news_31961": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_31961",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "31961",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "California storm",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "California storm Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 31978,
"slug": "california-storm",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/california-storm"
},
"news_26702": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_26702",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "26702",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "KQED guides",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "KQED guides Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 26719,
"slug": "kqed-guides",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/kqed-guides"
},
"news_140": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_140",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "140",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "PG&E",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "PG&E Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 144,
"slug": "pge",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/pge"
},
"news_26815": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_26815",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "26815",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "pg&e blackouts",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "pg&e blackouts Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 26832,
"slug": "pge-blackouts",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/pge-blackouts"
},
"news_1084": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1084",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1084",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "power outage",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "power outage Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1095,
"slug": "power-outage",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/power-outage"
},
"news_26823": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_26823",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "26823",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "power outages",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "power outages Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 26840,
"slug": "power-outages",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/power-outages"
},
"news_26802": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_26802",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "26802",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "power shutoffs",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "power shutoffs Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 26819,
"slug": "power-shutoffs",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/power-shutoffs"
},
"news_3": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_3",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "3",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "weather",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "weather Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3,
"slug": "weather",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/weather"
},
"news_28779": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_28779",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "28779",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "The Bay",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "program",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "The Bay is a daily news and culture program from KQED that covers the latest headlines, trends, and stories that matter to the Bay Area.",
"title": "The Bay Area Archives | KQED",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 28796,
"slug": "the-bay",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/program/the-bay"
},
"news_33520": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33520",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33520",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Podcast",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Podcast Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33537,
"slug": "podcast",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/podcast"
},
"news_32519": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_32519",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "32519",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "pajaro",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "pajaro Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 32536,
"slug": "pajaro",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/pajaro"
},
"news_22598": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_22598",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "22598",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "The Bay",
"description": "\u003cimg class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11638190\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/02/TheBay_1200x6301.png\" alt=\"\" />\r\n\u003cbr/>\r\n\r\nEvery good story starts local. So that’s where we start. \u003ci>The Bay\u003c/i> is storytelling for daily news. KQED host Devin Katayama talks with reporters to help us make sense of what’s happening in the Bay Area. One story. One conversation. One idea.\r\n\r\n\u003cstrong>Subscribe to The Bay:\u003c/strong>\r\n\r\n\u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bay/id1350043452?mt=2\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/Listen_on_Apple_Podcasts_sRGB_US-e1515635079510.png\" />\u003c/a>",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "Every good story starts local. So that’s where we start. The Bay is storytelling for daily news. KQED host Devin Katayama talks with reporters to help us make sense of what’s happening in the Bay Area. One story. One conversation. One idea. Subscribe to The Bay:",
"title": "The Bay Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 22615,
"slug": "the-bay",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/the-bay"
},
"news_13": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_13",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "13",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Politics",
"slug": "politics",
"taxonomy": "category",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Politics | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 13,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/politics"
},
"news_23716": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_23716",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "23716",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "carbon emissions",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "carbon emissions Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 23733,
"slug": "carbon-emissions",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/carbon-emissions"
},
"news_19204": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_19204",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "19204",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "climate",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "climate Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 19221,
"slug": "climate",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/climate"
},
"news_328": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_328",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "328",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "global warming",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "global warming Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 336,
"slug": "global-warming",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/global-warming"
},
"news_3430": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_3430",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "3430",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "sea levels",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "sea levels Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3448,
"slug": "sea-levels",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/sea-levels"
},
"news_1875": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1875",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1875",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "United Nations",
"slug": "united-nations",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "United Nations | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null,
"metaRobotsNoIndex": "noindex"
},
"ttid": 1890,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/united-nations"
},
"news_253": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_253",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "253",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "NPR",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "affiliate",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "KQED is the NPR station for the Bay Area, providing award-winning news, programming, and community engagement.",
"title": "NPR Archives - Get the Latest News and Reports from California | KQED",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 7083,
"slug": "npr",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/affiliate/npr"
},
"news_4092": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_4092",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "4092",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "agriculture",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "agriculture Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 4111,
"slug": "agriculture-2",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/agriculture-2"
},
"news_20061": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_20061",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "20061",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Atmospheric River",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Atmospheric River Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20078,
"slug": "atmospheric-river",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/atmospheric-river"
},
"news_19963": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_19963",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "19963",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Cannabis",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Cannabis Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 19980,
"slug": "cannabis",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/cannabis"
},
"news_102": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_102",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "102",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "marijuana",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "marijuana Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 106,
"slug": "marijuana",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/marijuana"
},
"news_32380": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_32380",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "32380",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "undocumented workers",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "undocumented workers Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 32397,
"slug": "undocumented-workers",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/undocumented-workers"
}
},
"userPermissionsReducer": {
"wpLoggedIn": false
},
"eventsReducer": {},
"fssReducer": {},
"tvDailyScheduleReducer": {},
"tvWeeklyScheduleReducer": {},
"tvPrimetimeScheduleReducer": {},
"tvMonthlyScheduleReducer": {},
"userAccountReducer": {
"user": {
"email": null,
"emailStatus": "EMAIL_UNVALIDATED",
"loggedStatus": "LOGGED_OUT",
"loggingChecked": false,
"articles": [],
"firstName": null,
"lastName": null,
"phoneNumber": null,
"fetchingMembership": false,
"membershipError": false,
"memberships": [
{
"id": null,
"startDate": null,
"firstName": null,
"lastName": null,
"familyNumber": null,
"memberNumber": null,
"memberSince": null,
"expirationDate": null,
"pfsEligible": false,
"isSustaining": false,
"membershipLevel": "Prospect",
"membershipStatus": "Non Member",
"lastGiftDate": null,
"renewalDate": null,
"lastDonationAmount": null
}
]
},
"authModal": {
"isOpen": false,
"view": "LANDING_VIEW"
},
"error": null
},
"youthMediaReducer": {},
"checkPleaseReducer": {
"filterData": {
"region": {
"key": "Restaurant Region",
"filters": [
"Any Region"
]
},
"cuisine": {
"key": "Restaurant Cuisine",
"filters": [
"Any Cuisine"
]
}
},
"restaurantDataById": {},
"restaurantIdsSorted": [],
"error": null
},
"userAgentReducer": {
"userAgent": "Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com)",
"isBot": true
}
}
