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May 2022

23m 2s

Let's blame someone for California's dro...

L.A. Times Studios

About this episode

It’s barely spring in 2022 and California has already broken record heat and drought levels never before seen in 1,200 years. Major reservoirs across the American West are at record lows. Groundwater is drying up. It’s projected to get even worse in the upcoming summer months. Come June 1, millions of Southern Californians will have to learn how to live with the region’s most severe water restrictions ever.

So who can we blame? Today, our Masters of Disasters tell us. Read the transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times earthquake reporter Rong-Gong Lin II, L.A. Times wildfire reporter Alex Wigglesworth and L.A. Times breaking news reporter Hayley Smith

More reading:

A drought so bad it exposed a long-ago homicide. Getting the water back will be harder than ever

It’s not even summer, and California’s two largest reservoirs are at ‘critically low’ levels

Your lawn will suffer amid the megadrought. Save money and put it out of its misery

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