Some parts of the United States may soon see massive floods. Weather experts say these floods could be the worst in 1,000 years. The reason? A special weather event called atmospheric rivers.
But what are these? Let’s find out!
The term atmospheric rivers, often referred to ARs, became popular in the 1990s thanks to researchers Yong Zhu and Reginald E. Newell from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
An atmospheric river is like a river in the sky. It is a long and narrow path of clouds that carries a lot of water from the ocean. When it reaches land, the water falls as rain or snow.
These sky rivers usually begin over the Pacific Ocean, near warm places like Hawaii. The warm air picks up water from the ocean and carries it to the mainland of the US.
When the water-filled air hits land, it rains heavily, which can cause floods.
This week, the Weather Prediction Center said strong atmospheric rivers are coming to parts of the US. The Middle Mississippi Valley and the Arkansas-Louisiana-Texas region could be hit first.
States like Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Missouri, Indiana, and Illinois may see very heavy rain and flooding starting Friday and into the weekend.
A big atmospheric river can carry as much water as the Mississippi River! That’s one of the biggest rivers in the world.
Sometimes, an atmospheric river brings water from near Hawaii. This is called the Pineapple Express because Hawaii is known for pineapples!
Most atmospheric rivers are gentle. They bring much-needed rain to dry places and help fill up rivers and lakes. They also bring snow to the mountains, which helps people get water when it melts.
But when they are too strong, they can cause floods, landslides, and damage to homes and roads.
In the US, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which is part of the Department of Commerce, is the main government agency that studies and keeps track of atmospheric rivers.
NOAA uses satellite images, radar, and weather planes to monitor these weather events and issue warnings about possible dangers.
Using NOAA’s research, National Weather Service forecasters can warn the public about heavy rain and flooding, sometimes up to seven days in advance.
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