Powerful El Nino In Pacific Ocean Threatens California, Beaches Erode
California faces a significant flood and erosion threat as a powerful El Nino event gathers strength in the Pacific Ocean. Experts warn that rising sea levels and atmospheric rivers could cause billions of dollars in damage throughout the winter.
Why it matters
The potential for extreme weather events driven by climate patterns poses a major economic and infrastructure risk to coastal regions.
California is facing a potentially multi-billion-dollar flood threat as El Nino gathers strength in the Pacific Ocean.The warming El Nino phenomenon tends to unleash powerful storms in the Pacific, including atmospheric rivers, some of which are named the "Pineapple Express" if they originate near Hawaii.The heaviest rains tend to come during the winter months. But El Nino is already creating chaos on some California beaches, with flood risks expected to rise in the weeks ahead.Disaster modelers at Climate X, a risk analytics firm backed by Google Ventures, estimate that El Nino could cause $2 billion to $3 billion in losses from flooding and mudslides statewide through the winter, based on damage inflicted during past events.On average, California tends to see about $500 million a year in flood damages, according to estimates from the nonprofit Climate Central.An emerging threat comes from a pulse of Kelvin waves that boost sea levels through…
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