Will the rain stop? Give it a week or so

Yet another deluge is headed for the state. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Los Angeles Times] [Essential California Newsletter] January 9, 2023 [View in browser]( [Click to view images]( imagery from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (NOAA / National Weather Service) By Kelcie Pegher Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California [newsletter](. It’s Monday, Jan. 9. I’m Kelcie Pegher. If you recognize my name, it’s just because I’ve filled in once or twice. I’m typically behind the scenes, working as our deputy editor of partnerships. The atmospheric river that dumped inches of rain across the state this weekend was the first of five — a stream of storms that will continue until about Jan. 19. This “relentless” parade of cyclones means even more flooding, especially in Northern California. But the rest of the state won’t be spared, [my colleague Matthew Ormseth reports](. A “warmer, wetter and stronger” storm on Monday is forecast to dump 2 to 4 inches of rain on the Sacramento Valley, Katrina Hand, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Sacramento, told Ormseth. More than [375,000 customers lost power]( around Sacramento over the weekend as wind gusts topped 60 mph in the area. “We are just getting repeatedly pounded by storm after storm,” Tracy Correa Lopez, a spokeswoman with Pacific Gas & Electric, [told my colleagues](. “The No. 1 issue right now is access to a lot of these areas.” A flood watch remains in effect for the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys and nearby foothills until 4 p.m. Wednesday. Gov. Gavin Newsom has asked the Biden administration to [declare a state of emergency](. Despite the deluge, [we are still in a historic drought](. Managing these kinds of extreme events is a delicate dance. A normal rain event means that green infrastructure projects like parks and gardens can help capture and store more water, [according to Marouane Temimi]( an associate professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Ocean Engineering at the Stevens Institute of Technology. But in Los Angeles, the waterway system was built to whisk the water out to the ocean rather than preserve it, [Haley Smith reports](. It will take three to five decades to build out the stormwater capture system to its full capacity. In the meantime, it’s just going to be wet. As you prepare for another week of rainy weather, may I recommend chili? It’s the perfect dinner for staying inside. L.A Times Cooking’s Julia Giuffrida knows [four great vegetarian chilis](. Though I must admit, I very rarely stray from my go-to chili recipe, which you will not find online. My dad’s chili recipe has a secret ingredient that I will reveal only to readers of this newsletter: Bloody Mary mix. Stay dry out there. And now, here’s what’s happening across California: Note: Some of the sites we link to may limit the number of stories you can access without subscribing. ADVERTISEMENT L.A. STORIES You may have noticed egg prices have jumped — sometimes to $7 a dozen. That is, if you can find them at all. A bird flu has killed millions of hens. The state is also complying with a 2018 law that just went into effect, which requires that all eggs come from cage-free farms. The combination has meant demand is far exceeding supply. [Los Angeles Times]( More storms are coming to Southern California this week. They are expected to bring as much rain, if not more, as the storm from last week. [Here’s a timeline](. Check out "The Times" podcast for essential news and more These days, waking up to current events can be, well, daunting. If you’re seeking a more balanced news diet, “The Times” podcast is for you. Gustavo Arellano, along with a diverse set of reporters from the award-winning L.A. Times newsroom, delivers the most interesting stories from the Los Angeles Times every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. [Listen and subscribe]( wherever you get your podcasts. POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT Sure, Kevin McCarthy won the speakership. But it was at a humiliating cost, and it highlighted a “civil war” in the GOP. My colleagues break down behind the scenes of the 15 rounds of voting. [Los Angeles Times]( Gov. Gavin Newsom has officially been inaugurated into his second term. He plans to spend his term implementing policies like the expansion of Medi-Cal eligibility to all immigrants and CARE Court for residents who have mental illness and drug addiction. My colleague Anita Chabria writes about what she hopes for his second term — a bit less politicking and a bit more inspiration from Newsom. [Los Angeles Times]( ADVERTISEMENT CRIME, COURTS AND POLICING Years before Austin Lee Edwards, the now-deceased Virginia police officer drove to Riverside, Calif. and killed three relatives of a 15-year-old girl he “catfished,” he groomed another teenage girl. The Times reviewed nearly 4,000 messages between Edwards and the victim. [Los Angeles Times]( Is it normal for so many people to be carrying Narcan in San Francisco? It’s a question on a subreddit that sparked a frank conversation on the regular people who are combating the opioid crisis by carrying the lifesaving medication that can reduce or reverse the effects of a drug overdose. [Los Angeles Times]( Support our journalism [Subscribe to the Los Angeles Times.]( HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT Monterey Bay divers are restoring kelp forests by killing sea urchins. Kelp helps to protect shorelines by absorbing energy from big waves, and even carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. They’re even known as the “redwoods of the sea.” [Mercury News]( On an island between the Sacramento River and an old freeway, the homeless population confronts the realities of climate change as weather becomes more extreme. California is home to more unhoused people than any other state, with 70% who are unsheltered. [Los Angeles Times]( CALIFORNIA CULTURE At least once a year, the New York Times publishes a completely nonsensical article comparing Los Angeles and New York City. Typically, it’s some New Yorker attempting to drive from Santa Monica to Echo Park at rush hour and being astonished by the traffic. A recent version insists that New York City is becoming Los Angeles. It wishes! Check it out if the thing that fuels your Monday is a hate read. [New York Times]( There’s at least one set of people enjoying all of this rain. Kayakers. The peak periods for these kayakers can last as little as a day for them to get on the water and take advantage of the rushing waters. [San Francisco Chronicle]( Free online games Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games in our new game center at [latimes.com/games](. CALIFORNIA ALMANAC Los Angeles: 59, rainy. San Diego: 65, mostly cloudy. San Francisco: 58, rainy. San Jose: 61, rainy. Fresno: 59, rainy. Sacramento: 57, rainy. AND FINALLY We’re trying something new down here! We asked readers to send us photos and blurbs about California landmarks that are interesting or important to you. Today’s landmark love: Downtown L.A., submitted by resident Tom Shrout. [Downtown Los Angeles in 2019.] Downtown Los Angeles in 2019. (Tom Shrout) This is downtown LA, taken from our condo window in December 2019. It was one of those pictures that were there for only a few seconds, before the light changed and it’s gone. Downtown continues to grow and evolve and becoming an even greater place to live. — Pete Shrout What are California’s essential landmarks? [Fill out this form to send us your photos of a special spot in California]( — natural or human-made. Tell us why it’s interesting and what makes it a symbol of life in the Golden State. Please be sure to include only photos taken directly by you. Your submission could be featured in a future edition of the newsletter. Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. ADVERTISEMENT Thank you for reading the Los Angeles Times Essential California newsletter. Invite your friends, relatives, coworkers to sign up [here](. Not a subscriber? Get unlimited digital access to latimes.com. [Subscribe here](. [Los Angeles Times] Copyright © 2023, Los Angeles Times 2300 E. Imperial Highway, El Segundo, California, 90245 [1-800-LA-TIMES](tel:1-800-LA-TIMES) | [latimes.com]( *Advertisers have no control over editorial decisions or content. If you're interested in placing an ad or classified, get in touch [here](. We'd love your feedback on this newsletter. Please send your thoughts and suggestions [here](mailto:newsletters@latimes.com). You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from The Los Angeles Times. 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