By . John Hall . Scientists in California are warning that the state may experience a century-long 'mega-drought'. The warnings come after sediment studies showed California is currently experiencing the driest spell since 1580, and that the regular rainfall seen during the last century is likely to have been a temporary deviation in a cycle of droughts and very occasional rainfall over the last 3,000 years. In 2013, California received less rain than in any year since its formation as a state in 1850, and even though several inches fell last week it wasn't anywhere near enough to lift the drought. No hope: The warnings of up to 100 years of drought come after sediment studies showed California is currently experiencing its driest spell since 1580 . Lynn Ingram, from the University of California Berkeley, says droughts lasting more than 100 years are far from unheard of in the state, adding there is every chance another could be on its way following the driest spell five centuries. She told CBS News: 'If we go back several thousand years, we've seen that droughts can last over a decade, and in some cases, they can last over a century.' 'These patterns tend to repeat themselves... I mean, we can expect that this will happen again,' she added. With 95 per cent of California currently in drought, Ms Ingram and her team have been studying 3,000-years of sediment samples in the state in the hope of producing a definitive history of drought in the Western world. The only hope of the California drought lifting . anytime soon appears to be the predicted arrival later this year of El . Nino - the weather system that causes periodic climate changes in the . Pacific Ocean. Last week a . storm brought some of the highest rainfall totals to the Los Angeles . area in years, including eight inches on some mountains. Before: To illustrate the severity of California's drought, the water department released a comparison photo of Folsom reservoir near Sacramento . And after: Now, just three years later, the lake is at 17 per cent capacity. Almost the entire state of California is currently experiencing drought . Although the storm was incredibly strong, forecasters said such systems would have to become common for the state to make serious inroads against the drought. 'We need several large storms and we just don't see that on the horizon,' National Weather Service meteorologist Eric Boldt said. 'This is a rogue storm. We will dry out next week.' In Azusa and neighboring foothill communities about 25 miles east of Los Angeles that sit beneath nearly 2,000 acres of steep mountain slopes that just weeks ago were menaced by a wildfire, about 1,200 homes were under evacuation orders over mudflow fears but were so-far spared. Not enough: Even though several inches fell in California last week, it wasn't anywhere near enough to lift the drought and replenish ground water supplies . In particular danger were about a dozen homes in Azusa that were backed up against a steep fire-denuded hillside several hundred feet high that authorities feared could collapse. Scientists say their research shows the 20th century was one of the wettest centuries in the past 1,300 years. During that time, we built massive dams and rerouted rivers. We used abundant water to build major cities and create a $45 billion agriculture industry in a place that used to be a desert. Even after several inches of rain last week, the drought continues. Ingram believes California should be prepared for an eventual 100-year-long dry period.
Scientists warn 95 per cent of California may see 100 years of drought .
Study of sediment shows drought more common than previously thought .
Frequent rainfall in California last century now thought to have been a blip .
By . John Hall . Scientists in California are warning that the state may experience a century-long 'mega-drought'. The warnings come after sediment studies showed California is currently experiencing the driest spell since 1580, and that the regular rainfall seen during the last century is likely to have been a temporary deviation in a cycle of droughts and very occasional rainfall over the last 3,000 years. In 2013, California received less rain than in any year since its formation as a state in 1850, and even though several inches fell last week it wasn't anywhere near enough to lift the drought. No hope: The warnings of up to 100 years of drought come after sediment studies showed California is currently experiencing its driest spell since 1580 . Lynn Ingram, from the University of California Berkeley, says droughts lasting more than 100 years are far from unheard of in the state, adding there is every chance another could be on its way following the driest spell five centuries. She told CBS News: 'If we go back several thousand years, we've seen that droughts can last over a decade, and in some cases, they can last over a century.' 'These patterns tend to repeat themselves... I mean, we can expect that this will happen again,' she added. With 95 per cent of California currently in drought, Ms Ingram and her team have been studying 3,000-years of sediment samples in the state in the hope of producing a definitive history of drought in the Western world. The only hope of the California drought lifting . anytime soon appears to be the predicted arrival later this year of El . Nino - the weather system that causes periodic climate changes in the . Pacific Ocean. Last week a . storm brought some of the highest rainfall totals to the Los Angeles . area in years, including eight inches on some mountains. Before: To illustrate the severity of California's drought, the water department released a comparison photo of Folsom reservoir near Sacramento . And after: Now, just three years later, the lake is at 17 per cent capacity. Almost the entire state of California is currently experiencing drought . Although the storm was incredibly strong, forecasters said such systems would have to become common for the state to make serious inroads against the drought. 'We need several large storms and we just don't see that on the horizon,' National Weather Service meteorologist Eric Boldt said. 'This is a rogue storm. We will dry out next week.' In Azusa and neighboring foothill communities about 25 miles east of Los Angeles that sit beneath nearly 2,000 acres of steep mountain slopes that just weeks ago were menaced by a wildfire, about 1,200 homes were under evacuation orders over mudflow fears but were so-far spared. Not enough: Even though several inches fell in California last week, it wasn't anywhere near enough to lift the drought and replenish ground water supplies . In particular danger were about a dozen homes in Azusa that were backed up against a steep fire-denuded hillside several hundred feet high that authorities feared could collapse. Scientists say their research shows the 20th century was one of the wettest centuries in the past 1,300 years. During that time, we built massive dams and rerouted rivers. We used abundant water to build major cities and create a $45 billion agriculture industry in a place that used to be a desert. Even after several inches of rain last week, the drought continues. Ingram believes California should be prepared for an eventual 100-year-long dry period.
By . John Hall . Scientists in California are the last century is likely to have been a of drought come after sediment studies showed lasting more than 100 years are far from unheard added. With 95 per cent of California currently