New study: NASA analysis finds strong El Niño could bring extra floods this winter
An analysis by NASA’s sea level change science team finds that if a strong El Niño develops this winter, cities along the western coasts of the Americas could see an increase in the frequency of high-tide flooding that can swamp roads and spill into low-lying buildings. El Niño is a periodic climate phenomenon characterized by higher-than-normal sea levels and warmer-than-average ocean temperatures along the equatorial Pacific. These conditions can spread poleward along the western coasts of the Americas. El Niño, which is still developing this year, can bring more rain than usual to the U.S. Southwest and drought to countries in the western Pacific like Indonesia. These impacts typically occur in January through March.
Related articles:
- The Associated Press: Nets to catch debris during rainstorms removed from California town devastated by mudslides
- SFist: Ski season is officially here as first Tahoe ski resort opens on Friday
- Nevada Current: El Niño may bring warmer, wetter winter – and big Colorado River basin snowpacks
- Las Vegas Weekly: How will Las Vegas fare in a future with less water?
- Arizona Department of Water Resources: Despite a strong “El Nino,” prospects for a wet winter in the Southwest remain “uncertain”