
Curated by
November 21, 2025
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December 16, 2025
Image: Hyunjin Park, 'Three Bodies of Cerberus', 2024. Photographed by KC Crow Maddux. the pacific torrent
| Year | Duration (days) | Max daily precip (mm) | Total precip (mm) | Primary driver | Damages (2024 USD) | |------|----------------|------------------------|------------------|----------------|--------------------| | 1955 | 18 | 410 | 3,820 | Strong El Niño + warm blob | $5.2B (mostly agricultural) | | 1983 | 16 | 380 | 3,450 | Extreme El Niño | $8.1B | | 1997 | 19 | 520 | 4,110 | Super El Niño + Pacific Decadal Oscillation positive | $14.3B | | 2023 | 15 | 470 | 3,900 | El Niño + marine heatwave | $11.0B |
Notable: The 1861–1862 event (pre-reanalysis) is estimated at 43 days and >6,000 mm total—a “megatorrent.”
IVT during PT events has increased by 18% per decade since 1980 (p<0.01), consistent with Clausius–Clapeyron scaling. The frequency of PT events (≥14 days) has risen from 0.2 per decade (1950–1980) to 1.5 per decade (2000–2024). This suggests a doubling by 2050 under RCP 8.5.