So with more signs of a strong El Niño winter, what can people do to prepare for the possibility of heavy rain?
That's the question many people are asking in the wake of a new forecast this week. The National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center said Thursday that this El Niño is shaping up to be as strong as the 1997-98 El Niño, which sent storms that killed 17 people and caused more than $550 million in damage in California.
How are local officials preparing for El Niño?
Many agencies are doing their own El Niño planning.