California to be hit by an ARkstorm - What is an ARkstorm and why do scientists fear it even more than the dreaded 'Big One'

Californians are not prepared to deal with catastrophic flooding.

There's a rare kind of disaster that only happens in California, and it has the potential to be  worse than even a major quake. Scientists and state officials know about the risk, but the average person has never even heard of it. It's called an ARkstorm, and it could happen this season.

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) - Californians are resilient people. Earthquakes are conversation starters. Most are well-prepared for the Big One, which scientists fear could devastate a metropolitan area like Los Angeles or San Francisco. Drought is no problem. Californians are getting better at water conservation. The Achilles heel for many Californians is water. Californians can surf, but they can't handle flooding.

An ARkstorm, is an Atmospheric River Storm. When conditions are just right, a narrow stream of water vapor can extend across the Pacific ocean and into California, and will dump the volume of ten to 15 times the Mississippi river on the state within a matter of days.

These rivers form every winter and spring, but they rarely last for more than a couple days. Californians call them the "Pineapple Express" because the streams form around Hawaii. These storms are essential to replenishing California's reservoirs, and snowpack.

On a few occasions, most recently in 2010, these rivers of water can persist, overwhelming flood control systems.

Most Californians remember the storm in December 2010 which caused local flooding. Still, that deluge was controlled and ended after a couple days. On two occasions however, the rain did not stop.

In 1938 and in 1862, out of the memory of nearly all the state's residents, epic flooding took place in California, literally wiping out entire communities.

In 1862, the flooding was so severe it destroyed a quarter of taxable property across the entire state. Farms, houses, livestock and people, were wiped out.

California is now a lot more populated than it was in 1862, and while flood controls are now in place, those controls do not have the capacity to handle several days worth of rain and runoff.

The years of greatest danger are El Nino years, when the equatorial Pacific is abnormally hot, and and the present El Nino is among the hottest on record.

All this means is that the conditions are present for a repeat of the 1862 ARkstorm.

According to experts, such storms occur every century or two, or with the same frequency as "Big One" earthquakes.

The scenario is so likely that FEMA and state officials have already simulated it. FEMA is also pre-staging supplies and equipment across California and the Southwest.

There is no reason to believe an ARkstorm will strike California this year, but the stage is set. Californians can deal with quakes and droughts, but floods are another matter. Many of the state's residents don't even have flood insurance. That's a concern because in an ARkstorm, places that have never flooded before will do so.

Like the Big One, such an event will occur, it's only a matter of time.

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