# Extreme flooding in the Southwest foreshadows a wild El Niño winter

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/extreme-flooding-in-the-southwest-foreshadows-a-wild-el-nino-winter/
- Published: 2026-11-05T09:15:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-05T10:40:38+00:00
- Original publisher: Grist (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://grist.org/extreme-weather/extreme-flooding-in-the-southwest-foreshadows-a-wild-el-nino-winter/
- Topics: Climate

## Key points

- Southwest flooding killed at least four people.
- Clovis recorded 28.84 inches of rain since 20 September.
- El Niño may bring a wetter winter to the region.

## Summary

A powerful storm brought severe flooding to the Southwest last weekend, killing at least four people and overwhelming communities with rainfall. Scientists say El Niño may be making such storms more likely by adding heat and moisture to the atmosphere, and the region could face a wetter winter.

Since 20 September, Clovis, New Mexico, has received 28.84 inches of rain, compared with a historical average of 3.3 inches. Earlier autumn storms had already raised river levels and saturated soils in Arizona, Colorado and neighbouring states, increasing runoff from the latest rainfall. NOAA’s seasonal outlook points to increased precipitation across much of the southern United States through February 2027.

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