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El Niño has arrived: 5 ways California could get pummeled
Los Angeles Times • • general
Key Points:
- A strong El Niño event is developing with a 63% chance of becoming "very strong" by year-end, potentially leading to significant global and California-specific climate impacts, including wetter winters and coastal effects.
- Southern California may experience increased rainfall and flooding risks, while the Pacific Northwest could see drier conditions; a wet winter might help alleviate the severe drought in the Colorado River basin.
- Elevated sea levels during El Niño could cause more frequent and severe high-tide flooding along California's coast, exacerbated by ongoing sea level rise and past coastal erosion events.
- Warmer ocean waters associated with El Niño could attract tropical marine species, such as sharks and jellyfish, closer to California's shores, altering local marine ecosystems and potentially increasing sightings of rare species.
- Marine heat waves linked to El Niño threaten kelp forests, marine food chains, and fisheries, with past events causing declines in key species, harmful algal blooms, and increased whale entanglements, impacting biodiversity and local economies.
