What do wildfires, near hurricane-force Santa Ana winds, debris flows, hailstorms, and King Tide storm surges all have in common? This January, residents of Ventura and nearby Los Angeles (LA) counties endured them all—bringing destruction, loss, and urgent questions about the changing nature of extreme weather.

While these events are natural in origin, their increasing severity and frequency have left first responders, government officials, scientists, and communities grappling with their devastating consequences. Many are asking: Why do these events now surpass historical averages, occur more frequently, and happen concurrently?

Attribution scientists—who study links between extreme weather and climate change—have coined the term “unnatural disasters” to describe these unprecedented events. While climate change does not create wildfires, windstorms, or tidal surges, it intensifies the conditions that make them more destructive.

The January 2025 Wildfires

On January 7, near Los Angeles, CA, strong Santa Ana Winds (SAWs) fueled fast-moving wildfires in the Palisades and Eaton areas. The SAWs themselves didn't break records for speed or duration, but the combination of seasonal dryness, wind intensity, and human development near the wildland-urban interface (WUI) turned a routine weather pattern into a disaster. (WUI means the area of undeveloped land between public lands and the built environment.)

Tragically, the fires claimed 28 lives and destroyed over 15,000 structures—a toll that may rise as recovery efforts continue. Many residents, caught off guard, had little time to evacuate. Fire officials worked quickly to issue warnings, but hot, dry winds carried embers up to a mile, igniting homes and businesses. According to the International Building Safety Handbook (IBSH), when embers land near a structure, there is a 90% chance it will catch fire.

California's wildfire problem isn't new but increasing fire intensity and year-round fire seasons leave communities with little reprieve. Firefighters train extensively for these emergencies, and WUI residents are required to create defensible space around their homes. However, those living in urban areas, far from the WUI, typically do not take similar precautions. Yet, as seen in the 2023 Maui fires and now in Los Angeles, no community is entirely immune to wildfire risks.

 

From Fire to Flood

Just two weeks after the fires were largely contained, much-needed rain arrived on January 18, offering some relief to fire-scorched landscapes. However, it also raised concerns about debris flows, as heavy rains in burned areas can trigger deadly mudslides—like the tragic Montecito disaster in 2018 following the Thomas Fire. Fortunately, this storm brought only light rainfall, preventing further destruction. Yet, the risks extend beyond the immediate damage. According to state officials quoted in the LA Times, smoke and ash from burned structures and vehicles can contain more than a hundred toxic chemicals and poisonous gases, posing long-term environmental and health hazards. Recovery efforts faced another disruption on January 19, when an unusual hailstorm swept through the region. Hail, also known as graupel, is rare in Southern California, with only a handful of recorded occurrences. These sudden and extreme weather shifts—sometimes called “whiplash weather”—are becoming more frequent as climate patterns grow increasingly unpredictable. 

Coastal & Celestial Influences

Meanwhile, on January 13, King Tides brought extreme high-water levels to California's coast. This phenomenon, caused by the sun and moon's gravitational pull, is natural—but in combination with rising sea levels, it can lead to severe coastal flooding. Unlike in 2023, when storm surges inundated beachside neighborhoods, this year's King Tides caused little damage. Interestingly, this year's tides coincided with a rare planetary alignment—Venus, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, Jupiter, and Mercury were all visible in the night sky. Amidst the destruction, the sight served as a reminder of nature's vast and powerful forces, both awe-inspiring and humbling.

Moving Forward

The events of January 2025 have caused tremendous loss, disrupted lives, destroyed communities, and raised new questions still not answered. Recovery will take time. Healing will require a collective effort to rebuild

communities, restore livelihoods, and strengthen resilience against future disasters. While scientific explanations provide some perspective, a person's lived experience is unique. When events happen in rapid secession, it gives little time to respond, however, reflecting on these events, and those that proceeded them, we know that we cannot prevent extreme weather, we can only take steps to protect ourselves, our communities, and our future.

The bigger question remains: How can we prepare for these "unnatural disasters" in the future? 

(Un)Natural Disaster Planning and Preparation Resources

Ventura County Fire's award-winning program, Ready, Set, Go, provides resources for residents to prepare for emergencies.

SoCal Edison Wildfire Safety Resources – get alerts, view outages, learn more about wildfire mitigation efforts.

Department of Social Services, Emergency Management Resources webpage has several helpful links to resources in multiple languages.

Cal OES (Office of Emergency Services) has resources, especially Prepare California.

Listos California has many resources in multiple languages (top left of webpage), including topics such as extreme heat, wildfires, wildfire smoke, power outages, flooding, earthquakes, severe storms, and a helpful Resource Hub.

California Building Officials Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery site has a list of helpful documents, including how to create a plan for your family/place of employment.

FEMA for California also has information to help prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.

California Disaster Unemployment Assistance helps people and businesses in California who have been affected by disasters and may have lost employment.

California Department of Insurance has a page to help deal with unplanned catastrophes including wildfires, earthquakes, floods, pandemics, etc.

211 for Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties offers a wealth of community resources, such as emergency housing, rent payment assistance, energy efficiency programs and more.

UC ANR Fire Network - Information for preparing your home and preparing for an evacuation https://ucanr.edu/sites/fire/

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