How El Niño is impacting Southwest flash floods
Associated Press · Adithi Ramakrishnan ·
A chaotic climate phenomenon called El Niño is intensifying heavy rains and floods in the Southwest. Experts say the natural warming cycle is sizzling Pacific Ocean waters and leaking moisture into the air that can fuel passing storms. The phenomenon wasn’t the only cause, but scientists say it’s making heavy rains more likely and intense across the Southern U.S. Flash floods on Sunday prompted evacuations across northern New Mexico and central Arizona, and a Colorado ski town braced for its main river to rise to catastrophic levels. To stay safe, experts recommended watching the forecast, planning ahead and heeding evacuation warnings.
Is El Niño making storms and flash floods in the Southwest worse?
NEW YORK (AP) — A chaotic climate phenomenon is intensifying heavy rains and floods in the Southwest, experts say.
A natural warming cycle called El Niño is sizzling Pacific Ocean waters, leaking moisture into the air that can fuel passing storms. Such El Niño events can happen irregularly every couple of years, but scientists say the latest iteration is particularly extreme — and it’s just getting started, with impacts expected for several more months.
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