Southwest prepares for El Nino winter

Posted at 4:03 PM on September 17, 2009 by Paul Huttner

Some areas of the country are more affected by El Nino than others.

As I posted below, winters tend to run mild in the Upper Midwest in El Nino years. In the desert southwest, El Nino winters can provide critical rainfall and high elevation mountain snowfall. It can also produce flooding in normally dry washes and river basins in the desert.

Things can get really critical in southern California. Heavy rainfall on the order of several inches at a time can cause massive flooding and mudslides. Recently charred hillsides now barren of vegetation have little defense against severe runoff.

Huge wave with storms can batter coastal areas, causing severe erosion and the usual footage of mega mansions on the edge of tumbling into the sea.

In recent decades emergency managers in the southwest have begun to make big preparations for El Nino events. That's why the Phoenix NWS issues updates like this one sent out last week. We'll likely enjoy a milder winter this year, and watch on the cable channels as severe weather and flooding leads the news in SoCal and places like Phoenix and Tucson.

PH

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