Overview
- Heavy rains in early November produced catastrophic flash flooding in South Florida and parts of the Southwest, triggering hundreds of water rescues and multiple confirmed deaths.
- Regional National Weather Service offices have active short-term warnings for continued heavy rain in Southeast Florida and say an atmospheric river on Nov. 10–12 poses a high risk of heavy precipitation from northern California through the Pacific Northwest.
- NOAA’s October outlook and current forecasters link a record-strong El Niño to a southward and eastward jet-stream shift that raises the odds of a wetter-than-average December–February across the southern U.S.
- Scientists and local forecasters say climate change is amplifying El Niño-driven moisture, making extreme rainfall and flooding more intense and increasing the chance of severe weather, including tornadoes in places like South Florida.
- The stronger storm pattern could relieve parts of the Southwest drought and refill reservoirs while also challenging flood control systems, emergency response and infrastructure preparedness this winter.