California likes whiplash weather. The state’s greenery, rivers, and dams are used to dry summer and wet winters. But recently—as the land has gone from parched and on fire to a complete deluge—things have gotten out of hand. From the strained Oroville dam to the flooding in San Jose last weekend, all this water, water everywhere has a single meteorological source: atmospheric rivers.

Get in-depth coverage of current and future trends in technology, and how they are shaping business, entertainment, communications, science, politics, and society.

Advertisement