Oh, God: A New Study Predicts the Toll of Massive Winter Storms Could Be Greater Than The Big One

In case you needed another apocalyptic scenario to keep you up nights... Climate scientists are referring to it as "the other Big One," and what they're talking about is a series of torrential storms, caused by "atmospheric rivers" over California, the likes of which the state has seen before: in the winter of 1861-62. That year, storms rained down across the state for 45 straight days, leaving a third of the land under water.

A report from a group of scientists who just met in Sacramento Thursday attempts to project what the impacts of such a prolonged winter weather system would be on modern California, and for obvious reasons, devastating. $725 billion worth of devastation, which is three times what's projected in the event of a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Southern California.

Geologic evidence of past floods indicate even bigger storms struck the state long before European settlers arrived.

But with infrastructure development and a population that has grown to 37 million, many of whom live on floodplains and hillsides, a big storm could cause massive destruction to the state.

Suffice it to say we'd be fucked, and what we've seen so far this year in Southern California is child's play.