Regarding the regional effects of El Niño February 25, 1998: “When will this freaking rain stop???
This complaint came from a Californian as the severe El Niño winter extended into spring. Starting at the beginning of February, a seemingly endless series of storms, one after another, assaulted the California coast with flooding, erosion and misery. Some were stronger than others but all were significant in comparison with those of a normal winter. Instead of tracking across the Pacific south of the Aleutians and into the Gulf of Alaska, they crossed Hawaii straight into California, picking up moisture and energy from the heat-laden tropical Pacific (El Niño). From there they continued across the desert southwest, dropping rain and snow from Arizona to Texas, where they picked up new moisture from the nearby Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, finally continuing eastward to drench the southeastern states, frequently spawning tornadoes as they passed. During the 1982/83 event, a series of 13 storms followed a similar pattern starting at the beginning of January and did not let up until earl
