fields turned into waterfront property after relentless rains drench the once extinct tulare lake in california. but this weather whiplash could become more common, threatening their landscapes we live in and depend on for our survival. cnn s bill weir has the latest from california. in california s central valley farmers have spent much less 20 years praying for rain. but then came this winter of relentless rivers in the sky. enough to bring a long dead lake back to life and drown over 150 square miles of farmland and counting. so now. they pray for the water to stop. it is mind blowing to realize. that if you d stood here for the last couple of generations, you d be watching the sunset over dusty fields of cotton, alfalfa or pistachio trees. and now it is waterfront property. i
that if you d stood here for the last couple of generations, you d be watching the sunset over dusty fields of cotton or alfalfa or pistachio trees. and now it is waterfront property. i had no idea to larry lake. was once the biggest freshwater body west of the mississippi, but it was and dikes and drained to build a $2 billion agriculture industry. and now it s back. it s proof that water never forgets. and this may just be the beginning because behind those clouds over there, the sierra nevada s are so packed with snow 160% above normal and sooner or later that s going to melt. which is only going to make this flooding. worse. and last longer. the last time it flooded this dramatically here was 1983, and it took two years to dry out. you were telling me about the effects in 83? yes the town hollowed out pretty much in
happening right now. imagine a flooded area 20 ft long by 20 miles long by eight ft miles wide, that is going to get three times bigger by spring. this is this ghost phantom lake that is back from the dead now and making life a headache in the central valley of california. take a look. in california s central valley farmers have spent much less 20 years praying for rain. but then came this winter of relentless rivers in the sky. enough to bring a long dead lake back to life and drown over 150 square miles of farmland and counting. so now. they pray for the water to stop. it is mind blowing to realize. that if you d stood here for the last couple of generations, you d be watching the sunset over dusty fields of cotton or alfalfa or pistachio trees. and now it is waterfront property. i
blowing to realize. that if you d stood here for the last couple of generations, you d be watching the sunset over dusty fields of cotton or alfalfa or pistachio trees. and now it is waterfront property. i had no idea to larry lake. was once the biggest freshwater body west of the mississippi, but it was and diaper and drained to build a $2 billion agriculture industry. and now it s back. it s proof that water never forgets. and this may just be the beginning because behind those clouds over there, the sierra nevada s are so packed with snow 260% above normal, and sooner or later that s gonna melt. which is only going to make this flooding. worse. and last longer. the last time it flooded this dramatically here was 1983, and it took two years to dry out. you were telling me about the
the water to stop. it is mind blowing to realize. that if you d stood here for the last couple of generations, you d be watching the sunset over dusty fields of cotton or alfalfa or pistachio trees. and now it is waterfront property. i had no idea to larry lake was once the biggest freshwater body west of the mississippi, but it was and diaper and drained to build a $2 billion agriculture industry. and now it s back. it s proof that water never forgets. and this may just be the beginning because behind those clouds over there, the sierra nevada s are so packed with snow 260% above normal and sooner or later that s going to melt. which is only going to make this flooding. worse. and last longer. the last time it flooded this dramatically here was 1983