Home » News » The 'Atmospheric River' is expected to bring more severe weather to the US

The 'Atmospheric River' is expected to bring more severe weather to the US

(Image Credit Google)
The year 2022 has been filled with severe weather all over the world, from heat waves and drought to hurricanes and floods. Even as we near the end of the year, the weather extremes continue. A so-called "atmospheric river" is dumping heavy rain along the West Coast of the United States, from Oregon to California. That water is falling as rain at low elevations, but snow is expected to accumulate in the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountains. According to National Weather Service forecaster William Churchill, rainstorms could bring up to an inch of rain per hour. The western states could use the rain—the majority of the country is suffering from drought. When precipitation occurs in large and sudden bursts over dry land, however, it can cause other issues such as flash floods and landslides. The National Weather Service warns that flooding and debris flows are possible with this week's storm, especially over burn scars from the West's many recent, severe wildfires. [caption id="attachment_77019" align="alignright" width="965"] Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez (AP)[/caption] Between Monday and Wednesday morning, the "deep and fast moving storm" dumped two to seven inches of rain over areas in western Oregon, Washington, and California. Rainfall flooded Portland's streets. And, when combined with high winds, the storm knocked out electricity for over 100,000 households, with over 60,000 still without power as of this writing. After such a brief weakening on Wednesday, the atmospheric river is expected to regain strength and bring more rain and snow further inland. Heavy rain is also expected to fall across much of the southeast, from east Texas to North and South Carolina, beginning Friday. This predicted precipitation will fall on a region still reeling from the effects of the polar vortex, which froze most of the country over the holiday weekend. At least 63 deaths occurred as a result of the winter storm, the majority in western New York but also Missouri, Kentucky, and Oklahoma. [caption id="attachment_77020" align="alignright" width="992"]West Coast is bracing for heavy rains Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images[/caption] And apart from the deaths, cities throughout the Southeast have just been left without safe drinking water. As first reported by NPR, multiple days of freezing temperatures induced pipes and water mains to burst. Temperatures have begun to rise, and the earlier freeze is now giving way to unusually warm high temperatures in the case of severe weather whiplash. However, the effects of the Arctic blast are still being felt. Many people in Shreveport, Louisiana, were left without water over the weekend, and the municipality distributed bottled water to residents on Monday. The mayor of Selma, Alabama, declared a state of emergency due to a water shortage caused by a large number of bursts and leaking pipes. According to NPR, dozens of southern water districts issued boil water advisories or other advisories due to low pressure and infrastructure damage done by the freeze.

By Raulf Hernes

If you ask me raulf means ALL ABOUT TECH!!

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