logo
Atmospheric Rivers Drive Western U.S. Flood Damages
news image
Special Stories
23 Jan 2020 2:00 AM
[NOAA by Alison Stevens]   New research recently published in Science Advances found that atmospheric rivers accounted for 84% of flood damages, or $42.6 billion, across the western United States from 1978-2017. Supported by NOAA's Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) and co-authored by California-Nevada RISA PI Alexander Gershunov, the study analyzed 40 years of data from the National Flood Insurance Program to quantify atmospheric rivers’ economic impacts. Not only were atmospheric rivers the primary driver across all 11 states, with annual average damages of $1.1 billion, but they also caused over 95% and even exceeded 99% of flood damages in some coastal areas of northern California and the Pacific Northwest. In addition, the authors used a recently developed atmospheric rivers intensity and duration scale varying from 1 (weak) to 5 (exceptional) to assess how flood damages change with each category. They found that each increase in the atmospheric intensity and duration scale corresponds to a roughly 10-fold increase in flood damages. Flood damages from atmospheric rivers are expected to increase in the face of rising population, increased development, and climate change. 
All Weather News
Winter Continues in the Western U.S. with Snow in the Rockies & Cascades
Winter Continues in the Western U.S. with Snow in the Rockies & Cascades
The same storm system that is impacting Calif
29 Mar 2023 12:00 AM
Avalanche Risk Remains Considerable through the Rockies with More Snow this Week
Avalanche Risk Remains Considerable through the Rockies with More Snow this Week
Are you headed into the High Country over the
28 Mar 2023 11:50 PM
Thursday & Friday Severe Weather Threat
Thursday & Friday Severe Weather Threat
Confidence is increasing in the threat of str
28 Mar 2023 11:45 PM
Latest Storm Slams the West Coast with Rain & Snow Today
Latest Storm Slams the West Coast with Rain & Snow Today
CALIFORNIA - We have had an incredible snow s
28 Mar 2023 11:30 PM
Flooding & Strong Storms in the Deep South
Flooding & Strong Storms in the Deep South
Lingering storms will continue to push along
28 Mar 2023 11:15 PM
Multiple Waves of Snow for the High Plains this Week
Multiple Waves of Snow for the High Plains this Week
The last few days of March will feature an ac
28 Mar 2023 11:05 PM
Snow Stretches from the Great Lakes to the Northeast
Snow Stretches from the Great Lakes to the Northeast
A quick moving area of low pressure will swee
28 Mar 2023 6:40 PM