It’s Atmospheric River Season: Help Your Clients Prepare
An atmospheric river is a huge band of warm, moist tropical air pushed by strong winds, moving like a river in the sky. These storms release moisture as rain or snow when they touch land. These storms can carry as much water as actual rivers and provide up to half the annual precipitation in the western U.S. They are most common fall through spring, particularly from December through February.
Strong atmospheric rivers can bring extreme weather, with flash flood and mudflow risk. They cause about $1 billion of flood damage yearly in western states and were responsible for more than 80% of flood damage over a 40-year period. When they bring heavy snow, spring floods can follow as the snowpack melts. Local conditions like recent wildfires or saturated soil increase flood risk.
Like hurricanes, atmospheric rivers are ranked on a scale from 1 to 5. Flood damage increases exponentially with greater storm intensity and duration. To help put their impact in perspective, a strong atmospheric river can carry from seven and a half to 15 times the volume of water flowing at the mouth of the Mississippi River.
Atmospheric River Categories
Category | Effect |
|---|---|
1 (Weak) | Primarily Beneficial |
2 (Moderate) | Mostly Beneficial, but Somewhat Hazardous |
3 (Strong) | Balance of Beneficial and Hazardous |
4 (Extreme) | Mostly Hazardous, but Also Beneficial |
5 (Exceptional) | Primarily Hazardous |
If you sell flood insurance in western states, now is the time to encourage clients and prospects to buy flood insurance. Most policies require 30 days to take effect, so waiting until atmospheric river storms arrive can be a costly mistake.
