February 5, 2024, 11:29 a.m. ET
Atmospheric river stagnates in Southern California, increasing flood risk
From CNN Meteorologist Mary Gilbert
A powerful atmospheric storm fueled by a river is moving at a painfully slow pace across Southern California, sending water hoses into flooded cities for hours at a time.
Normally, storms move at a steady pace across the United States from west to east, but an atmospheric feature far above the surface stands in the way of this storm, leaving it stranded over Southern California. With nowhere to go, storms continue to exploit tropical moisture in atmospheric rivers, increasing the threat of heavy rain and flooding.
The slower pace of the storm is very bad news for the region, as the longer the rain lasts, the more likely the flooding will get worse.
“This setting is a textbook case of widespread flooding,” the Weather Prediction Center said Monday morning.
Some cities in Southern California could see 48 hours of continuous rain. It has been raining in Los Angeles since early Sunday afternoon, and the rain will continue at varying intensities into Tuesday, with a chance of showers.
When rain continues to fall, even without heavy rainfall, waterlogged soil soaks through, causing rivers and streams to swell with little opportunity for water to recede, increasing the risk of flooding.
