A Very Wet Winter Has Eased California’s Drought, but Water Woes Remain
The recent onslaught
of precipitation
has flooded highways, broken levees
and knocked out power for tens of thousands of utility
customers, inflicting
widespread destruction
on Californians still weary
from the back-to-back atmospheric river storms that pummeled
the state in January. The deluges
have also had another effect: replenishing
reservoirs
and building up snowpack
, which has improved drought conditions across much of the state. This week, the U.S. Drought Monitor noted “broad
reductions
in drought coverage
and intensity
” across California and neighboring areas. But long-term concerns remain in a state where years of aridity
, rising temperatures and unsustainable
water use have left their mark, experts say.
tips
ease:安乐,悠闲
woe:悲哀,苦痛
onslaught:突击,猛击
precipitation:降水(precipitate 沉淀物;猛抛,使沉淀,猛地落下)
levee:大坝
utility:公共事业
inflict:使承受
destruction:自毁
weary:使疲倦
back-to-back:背靠背,形容连续的
atmospheric storm:大气暴风雨
pummel:打,击
deluge:洪水,泛滥
replenish:把...重新补足
reservoir:水库
snowpack:积雪
broad:广泛的
coverage:覆盖范围
intensity:紧张,程度
aridity:干旱
unsustainable:不稳定的(sustainable 足可支撑的)