This historic El Niño Event Caused $30 Billion in Devastation

El Niño is an extreme weather event that was first recorded in the 16th century. This climate occurrence historically came every two to seven years but research illustrates that climate change as early as the 1970s has led to more frequent and intense episodes. "El Niño" in Spanish translates to "the boy child" in English, said to have been named after the baby Jesus because of its penchant for occurring around Christmas time.

An El Nino event takes place when the temperature of the seawater in the Pacific Ocean rises above average temperatures, causing some areas to be drier and warmer than normal and others to be wetter with increased flooding. During an El Nino event, a rise in ocean temperatures can wreak havoc on ecosystems, marine life, and weather patterns.

To discover which El Niño event caused $30 billion in devastation, 24/7 Tempo consulted geographic sources, including National Geographic Education, the National Weather Service, and PreventionWeb.net. (For more weather-related content, click here to read about extreme weather phenomena you didn't know existed.)

El Niño weather events can cause massive problems. An El Niño happens when the water temperature in the eastern Pacific Ocean rises near the Equator. Since the water temperature rises, it affects marine life and the marine ecosystem.

Wind patterns shift and ocean currents become stronger, which affects each region differently. Areas that are in droughts get even less rain. Places with high temperatures see even higher numbers on the thermometer. Flooding and severe storms take place, which impacts crops and can lead to food shortages.

Several horrific El Niño events have occurred but the worst recorded one in history took place between 1997 and 1998. For one year, folks were affected by this weather pattern. There was more than $30 billion in damage done by this one specific weather phenomenon.

There were more cyclones in this period years than average, which destroyed countless homes and businesses. Several areas near the Pacific Ocean rely heavily on tourism to stimulate the economy, but with these extreme weather issues, people were advised to avoid the water which had a severe impact.

Water temperatures even rose near Alaska. Water near Alaska must remain cool so glaciers maintain their structure. But with warmer water temperatures, glaciers began to collapse, causing sea levels to rise. Countless droughts and other natural disasters plagued regions like Florida, that also saw an uptick in tornado activity.

La Niña events are when the ocean becomes cooler than normal, compared to El Niño when the ocean temperature rises. Although the intervals can vary, typical La Niña events happen every three to five years. The most severe La Niñas creates more hurricanes and causes temperatures to fall dramatically.

There are floods near Washington and Canada during a La Niña. Droughts in the southern part of the United States are common as well.Both weather patterns are just as bad but have different effects. (For more weather content, click here to read 16 of the Most Catastrophic Storms in World History.)