This state is likely to get the worst of El Niño

Key Points:

• In February 1998, a Super El Niño caused nearly a year’s worth of rain in downtown Los Angeles, triggering deadly landslides, coastal flooding, and destruction of the Santa Monica Pier, setting a benchmark for future events in California.
• The current Super El Niño, likely the strongest on record, is expected to bring widespread coastal flooding, heavy rain, and mountain snows to California, with record-high tide levels exacerbated by rising sea levels from climate change.
• El Niño-driven Kelvin waves raise sea levels along the California coast by six inches to one foot, and combined with an 18-year high-tide cycle and increased wave energy from Pacific storms, could threaten an additional 170,000 people and $60 billion in property.
• While coastal impacts such as flooding and erosion are considered certain, precipitation patterns remain less predictable, with heavy rains and mountain snows more likely but their exact distribution across the state uncertain.
• Experts warn that global warming may alter typical El Niño outcomes, potentially intensifying some impacts, and confirm the current event is on track to be an extraordinary Super El Niño, with significant consequences for California.