California is being battered by a deadly weather system that has released more than than one-foot of rain on some areas – but there is a biblical storm that would make this catastrophic flooding seem like a mere drizzle.

Scientists have been studying a hypothetical disaster scenario called an ARkstorm, which was patterned after the ‘Great Flood of 1862’ that left a 300-mile-long stretch of the state submerged under water.

The ARkstorm, according to projections, would see walls of water more than 20 feet high, displace over five million people and cause at least $700 billion in damages.

While weather experts have assured the public that the current system is not the dreaded megastorm, studies have predicted there is a 30 percent chance of one hitting in the next 30 years. 

The ARkstorm, according to projections, would see walls of water more than 20 feet high, displace over five million people and cause at least $700 billion in damages - and would make the current storm seem like a mere drizzle

The ARkstorm, according to projections, would see walls of water more than 20 feet high, displace over five million people and cause at least $700 billion in damages - and would make the current storm seem like a mere drizzle

The ARkstorm, according to projections, would see walls of water more than 20 feet high, displace over five million people and cause at least $700 billion in damages – and would make the current storm seem like a mere drizzle 

The ArkStorm flood is also known as ‘the Other Big One’ after the nickname of an expected major earthquake on the San Andreas Fault. 

But, unlike an earthquake, the ArkStorm would lead to catastrophe across a much larger area. 

Daniel Swain, a researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles, who conducted a study on the ARkstorm scenario, said: ‘In the future scenario, the storm sequence is bigger in almost every respect.

‘There’s more rain overall, more intense rainfall on an hourly basis and stronger wind.

‘The heaviest localized downpours also get considerably more intense. Some of the peaks of the future scenario look like the heavy Texas-style downpours. 

Scientists have been studying a hypothetical disaster scenario called an ARkstorm, which was patterned after the 'Great Flood of 1862' that left a 300-mile-long stretch of the state submerged under water. Pictured is K Street, Sacramento during the Great Flood

Scientists have been studying a hypothetical disaster scenario called an ARkstorm, which was patterned after the 'Great Flood of 1862' that left a 300-mile-long stretch of the state submerged under water. Pictured is K Street, Sacramento during the Great Flood

Scientists have been studying a hypothetical disaster scenario called an ARkstorm, which was patterned after the ‘Great Flood of 1862’ that left a 300-mile-long stretch of the state submerged under water. Pictured is K Street, Sacramento during the Great Flood

California is being battered by a deadly weather system that has released more than 11 inches of rain in some areas like Los Angeles (pictured)

California is being battered by a deadly weather system that has released more than 11 inches of rain in some areas like Los Angeles (pictured)

California is being battered by a deadly weather system that has released more than 11 inches of rain in some areas like Los Angeles (pictured)

‘These intense hourly rainfall rates – unusual for California – can cause big problems in urban and other populated areas.’ 

The current atmospheric river system, called the Pineapple Express, has killed at least three people since sweeping across the state on Sunday.

All three were killed by wind-toppled trees – 82-year-old David Gomes in the former gold rush town of Yuba City and a 45-year-old Robert Brainard II at Boulder Creek in the coastal Santa Cruz Mountain. 

Since then, Los Angeles has been deluged with 10 inches of rain – or 75 percent of its annual rainfall in just five days, triggering 120 mudslides by Monday night.

Meanwhile, 130 miles down the coast in San Diego, roads have turned to rivers and officials warned residents not to drive to work on Tuesday morning.

As the storm was predicted to hit, many people took to social media to share news of an impending flood that would be ‘the worst natural disaster in world history’ – and explained it not an ARkstorm.

The current atmospheric river system, called the Pineapple Express, has killed at least three people since sweeping across the state on Sunday

The current atmospheric river system, called the Pineapple Express, has killed at least three people since sweeping across the state on Sunday

The current atmospheric river system, called the Pineapple Express, has killed at least three people since sweeping across the state on Sunday

Since then, Los Angeles has been deluged with 10 inches of rain - or 75 percent of its annual rainfall in just five days, triggering 120 mudslides by Monday night

Since then, Los Angeles has been deluged with 10 inches of rain - or 75 percent of its annual rainfall in just five days, triggering 120 mudslides by Monday night

Since then, Los Angeles has been deluged with 10 inches of rain – or 75 percent of its annual rainfall in just five days, triggering 120 mudslides by Monday night

That type of weather pattern draws heat and moisture from the tropical Pacific, forming a series of atmospheric rivers that approach the ferocity of hurricanes and then slam into the West Coast over several weeks.

The USGS said that a storm on the scale of that which struck in 1861 is ‘inevitable’ and it has widely considered the worst and longest on record.

A flood like that would leave ‘parts of cities such as Sacramento, Fresno and Los Angeles water even with today’s extensive collection of reservoirs, levees and bypasses. 

The UCLA research projected that an ARkstorm would generate 200 percent to 400 percent more runoff in the Sierra Nevada Mountains due to increased precipitation and more precipitation falling as rain, not snow.

Meanwhile, 130 miles down the coast in San Diego, roads have turned to rivers and officials warned residents not to drive to work on Tuesday morning

Meanwhile, 130 miles down the coast in San Diego, roads have turned to rivers and officials warned residents not to drive to work on Tuesday morning

Meanwhile, 130 miles down the coast in San Diego, roads have turned to rivers and officials warned residents not to drive to work on Tuesday morning

An ARkstorm would take some weeks to form, which would hopefully give them time to better prepare when it arrived.

The increased runoff could lead to devastating landslides and debris flows — particularly in hilly areas burned by wildfires. 

‘A severe California winter storm could realistically flood thousands of square miles of urban and agricultural land, result in thousands of landslides, disrupt lifelines throughout the state for days or weeks, and cost on the order of $725 billion,’ according to the USGS website.

‘The $725 billion figure comprises approximately $400 billion in property damage and $325 billion in business-interruption losses.’

The scenario would also see about 25 percent of buildings throughout the state submerged.

‘Unlike for earthquakes, we can partially predict key aspects of the geophysical phenomena that would create damages in the days before an ARkStorm strikes,’ USGS shared.

‘Enhancing the accuracy, lead time, and the particular measures that these systems can estimate is a great challenge scientifically and practically.’

This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk

You May Also Like

Here’s What Google Does Illegally, According to the DOJ

For the better part of a year, the tech world has wondered…

Google Chrome users warned to delete ‘nasty apps’ with around 87million downloads that steal credit card details

SECURITY experts have warned Google Chrome users of a few dangerous applications.…

After the Virus: How We’ll Learn, Age, Move, Listen, and Create

Art teaches us to live a life that has meaning, by accepting…

How to Make the Most of Online Courses to Boost Your Career

More than 200 million people lost their jobs over the course of…