“Pineapple Express” is the latest in a string of storms slamming the West Coast. The storm type gets its name from its origin in the tropical Pacific around Hawaii. It can bring as much as 5 inches of rain a day, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says. An “atmospheric river” is an atmospheric river, similar to a hurricane. They are the largest freshwater “rivers” in the world, can carry more than twice the volume of the Amazon. The coming Pineapple Express could reach Category 3, a “strong” event.
