Forecasters say the El Nino could be one of the strongest on record

Forecasters with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center say they are almost certain that the El Nino shaping up now will be one of the strongest ever.

An El Nino is created when equatorial waters in the Pacific Ocean become warmer. Weather experts say weekly sea surface temperatures in the eastern half of the tropical Pacific were 3.6 degrees higher than average in August, and trade winds in the equatorial central and eastern Pacific are weaker than average. Those are both key factors in an El Nino being strong, CBS News reports. "At this point, it could be one of the three strongest we have seen," Mike Halpert, deputy director of the NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, told reporters Thursday. The biggest El Nino on record was in 1997 to 1998, with flooding and storms that caused $4 billion in damage and killed 189 people in the U.S.

The eastern part of the United States has El Nino to thank for a weak Atlantic hurricane system, but the West Coast should brace itself for more intense and frequent storms. "El Nino is actually good for some parts of the country," Halpert said. "It generally favors a warm Northern Plains and Northern Rockies. The United States is one of the big winners economically regarding El Nino. The increase to GDP can be in the billions of dollars. Often, that is just savings on your heating bill if you live in North Dakota."

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