Pacific Northwest Homeowners – Why should I care about Atmospheric River forecast?
What is an atmospheric river?
Atmospheric rivers are relatively long, narrow regions in the atmosphere – like rivers in the sky – that transport most of the water vapor outside of the tropics. While atmospheric rivers can vary greatly in size and strength, the average atmospheric river carries an amount of water vapor roughly equivalent to the average flow of water at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Exceptionally strong atmospheric rivers can transport up to 15 times that amount. (To compare the amount of water transported by an atmospheric river to the flow of an actual river, scientists calculate the mass of water vapor in the atmospheric river and divide by the density of liquid water.) When the atmospheric rivers make landfall, they often release this water vapor in the form of rain or snow. source NOAA
North America from space. Elements of this image furnished by NASA
Why should homeowners care?
In the Pacific Northwest that can mean exceptional amounts of rain in a short amount of time. During an Atmospheric River, it doesn’t allow time between heavy rainfall for the ground to recover. This is when you will see standing water in your yard and water will find a way to go where it needs to and that can find its way into your home. For Homeowners, groundwater intrusion (flooding) into your home can start with a crawl space, garage, or basement. Groundwater intrusion (flooding) can lead to bigger complications by giving rodents a way into your home, mold growth, and rot of vital support structures.
If your home does having water intrusion from groundwater or water damage from hot water tank failure, leaky sinks, bathtubs, toilets, etc. The Flood Guys are your BEST solution for making sure your home is properly dried. The Flood Guys assign trained & certified Water Damage Restoration Technicians to every customer home to help protect it from secondary loss from mold or rot.
If you and your home have Water Damage, link to our “What To Do” article HERE
About The Flood Guys
The Flood Guys are your local, trusted experts in Western Washington for water, fire, mold or storm damage clean up. Available 24/7, our experienced technicians utilize advanced technology to quickly identify and resolve your water damage—saving you time and money from mold or rot in your home.
