Meteorologist reveals America's most dangerous cities in super El Niño's 'corridor of chaos'... and warns this is only the beginning: 'It may haunt you'

El Niño has returned, and scientists have compared the impending weather shifts to a historic 'global climate disaster' that led to the deaths of 50 million people.

The arrival of the climate pattern on Thursday is expected to bring an increased threat of torrential downpours, flooding, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes to an 800-mile stretch of the US from the South to the Mid-Atlantic.

Major cities from coast to coast will be affected by the weather phenomenon's disruptions, AccuWeather's lead long range forecaster Paul Pastelok told the Daily Mail.

An El Niño is a natural climate pattern in which the central and eastern Pacific Ocean surface temperature becomes significantly warmer than average, flipping weather patterns worldwide.

'As far as heavy rainfall and tornadoes, Houston to Atlanta, Orlando and parts of the Mid-Atlantic, pick a city... those are more concerning, especially as you get into later this year,' Pastelok warned.

'You're going to be hearing a lot about El Niño,' Florida meteorologist Jeff Berardelli added. 'And the reason is, our computer models are advertising a very strong if not super El Niño, one of the strongest on record, and because of all the heat released into the atmosphere, it has wide-ranging impacts all over the globe.' 

While El Niño makes the weather calmer and drier in the Northwest and Northern Plains, it heats the Pacific and pushes the jet stream farther south, increasing the chances of volatile weather over Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and the Carolinas. 

This current El Niño is projected to mirror an infamous one from 1877, known for triggering severe droughts and crop failures around the world. It contributed to one of history's deadliest famines, killing over 50 million people, mainly in India, China, Brazil and parts of Africa.

US climate officials said this year's will continue to intensify and become one of the strongest on record by the end of 2026, with similar ocean warming patterns that could once again alter the world's rain and drought patterns.

Many climate historians think the 1877 event reshaped world history, and some consider it one of the first 'truly global climate disasters.' It only took a 4.86F temperature increase in the Pacific Ocean to wreak havoc. 

Parts of Africa, Southeast Asia and Australia experienced severe drought and forest fires. India saw its normal monsoon rains disappear, while Northern China suffered devastating dry spells that led to harvest failures. In Brazil, rivers dried up and agriculture collapsed.

There were also outbreaks of malaria, plague, dysentery, smallpox and cholera across already weakened populations.

Researchers have estimated that the resulting scarcity of food and disease outbreaks killed up to four percent of the Earth's population at the time. That would be the equivalent of at least 250 million people today.

On June 11, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) officially declared that El Niño has arrived, stating that there is a 63 percent chance it will become a 'super' weather event between November 2026 and January 2027.

The declaration means the agency has found that sea surface temperatures are at least 0.9F above average and are expected to stay that way for several months, if not the entire year.

Pastelok clarified that 'Super El Niño' is not an official scientific term. It simply means that sea surface temperatures are projected to be 3.6F or more above normal – which NOAA classifies as 'strong.'

NOAA went even further during their declaration, stating that they expect this year's El Niño to become 'very strong' by the winter.

The warmer Pacific waters pump more heat and moisture into the atmosphere. This can lead to heavier rain in parts of South America and the southern US and drought in the Pacific Northwest.

Paul Roundy, from the State University of New York at Albany, said this year could be 'potentially the biggest' El Niño event since 1877. 

Pastelok noted that this would be the eighth super El Niño since 1950 and will likely have a severe impact on the US climate far beyond the end of 2026.

'This stuff takes time, and sometimes, even after the El Niño goes away by next year, the lag of the atmosphere continues to go on, so we could see effects from this El Niño all the way through 2027,' he explained.

'We could experience significant drought and heat. More so next year than we are this year from the El Niño. And so folks need to realize... It may come and haunt you next year.'

Although the threat of severe storms and potentially deadly flooding is predicted to be greatest in the corridor through the South and Southeast this year, Pastelok said California and Arizona need to be prepared for an unusually wet year.

The senior meteorologist noted that the heat spike in the Pacific may even bring a tropical storm or hurricane to California.

'There could be some insane flooding that could take place, not only just in the summer, but it could even be out of season as well into the wintertime,' Pastelok said.

'You gotta watch the combination of the monsoon and marine heatwave. A marine heatwave that's near the Baja, with El Niño combined, you've got three things working to possibly produce some unusual type of wet weather in Southern California, Phoenix, Tucson, in that area there.'

At the same time, Pastelok expects US states north of this shifted jet stream to become hotter and drier as we move into the summer and fall, sparking the threat of dangerous wildfires in the Pacific Northwest and the Rockies.

The meteorologist explained that severe drought will play a major role in the North's wildfire threat, as man-made accidents - which will turn small fires into cataclysms - spread by strong winds and increasingly flammable vegetation. 

'Man-made fires, generally, most likely 80 percent of the time [are] caused by us, and so we could have some large fires develop because of the El Niño,' he said. 'It's not a direct impact from El Niño, but it's an indirect impact that could take place as far as fires more in the northern Rockies and the Northwest.

'Seattle, Portland, maybe, maybe Billings, those places, Boise, they could be more of a concern.'

In the latter half of 2026, the super El Niño is expected to unleash more nor'easters in the Northeast and New England.

However, Pastelok noted major cities such as New York and Boston may not see more snow, as fewer cold air outbreaks will likely leave these weather events as rainstorms.

Before El Niño even arrived, flood season in the US was already a major concern, particularly in the South, where Pastelok predicts the worst impact will be felt.

Data from the non-profit group Climate Central showed that at least 276 people died in extreme weather events in 2025, including flash floods and severe thunderstorms.

The worst event struck in early July when severe thunderstorms caused the Guadalupe River and surrounding creeks to rise by 20 feet in under two hours, killing at least 135 people in the Texas Hill Country, including several young girls at a local summer camp.

NOAA and local meteorologists have already been urging Americans to prepare for extreme weather events this summer, with the Atlantic hurricane season beginning on June 1.

AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva has previously warned: 'There is no reason to let your guard down this year. It only takes one storm to cause major damage, disruption and heartache.

'Review your insurance coverage, safety plans, and local evacuation routes now. Make sure your emergency supplies are stocked up.'

NOAA officials have echoed those statements, urging residents at the highest risk of being in the path of storms and floods to stock up on emergency supplies, including gas, food, water and other essentials, before long lines form during an actual emergency.