It might be months from now before agricultural producers in California know for sure whether President Donald Trump’s order to release billions of gallons of water will benefit a drought-stricken region or whether it was just a political stunt in the Republican’s ongoing feud with the state’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, a potential future presidential candidate.
RANDOM CONNECTION: Gavin Newsom’s ex-wife, Kimberly Guilfoyle, was engaged to Donald Trump’s son, Don Junior. President Trump nominated Guilfoyle to become U.S. Ambassador to Greece following the couple’s breakup.
The Los Angeles area suffered catastrophic damage after fires roared through January 7th, aided by extreme drought and hurricane force winds. The area didn’t record rainfall of at least a quarter of an inch for nearly 10 months, a stunning spell of dryness, leading to that disaster. Â
RELATED: The area received more than an inch of rain this week, which helped firefighters battle the fires that are now 95% contained. However, the rain triggered flash flood watches and concerns about mudslides. This Yahoo! Article explains what happened.Â
Santa Ana winds, more prevalent in Southern California in Fall and Winter, spread the inferno – regardless of what ignited the initial flames – at an unstoppable speed, despite the valiant efforts of firefighters who rushed in from across the country.
The irony of the landscape was that severe flooding a year ago likely contributed to what helped to fuel the fires. The heavy rain and mudslides provided extra moisture that followed a prolonged drought. Plants thrived and spread.
Another drought then followed, lingered, and gradually removed the necessary moisture. The dehydrated plants then provided kindling for January’s flames to torch the area.  Â
President Trump ordered federal agencies to release 2.2 billion gallons of water to flow toward the area. "All we're doing is giving Los Angeles and the entire state of California virtually unlimited water," he later said.
Trump has criticized Newsom’s leadership of the state overall and specifically claimed that mismanagement contributed to the fires, something Newsom pushed back against.
RELATED: KGO-TV in San Francisco, California, looked at how President Trump’s federal orders changed the existing relationship between various governmental entities’ management of the waters. Watch that here. Â
Some agricultural producers contend that Trump’s orders will cause problems later when the previously stored water could be needed.
Politico reported that officials in California were able to convince Trump not to release as much water as he originally wanted. They warned him how the water would overwhelm the area and flood farmers’ land. See that story here.Â
This story from the Los Angeles Times looks at the concerns of farmers about the future. What if the water upon which they once relied may not be there when they need it later?
RELATED: The Los Angeles fires could be among the costliest natural disasters in United States’ history. Statista breaks down the weather events that have caused the most damage.
