El Niño Threat Grows in 2026 as 1877 Disaster That Killed Millions Looms in Memory
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · May 12
El Niño Threat Grows in 2026 as 1877 Disaster That Killed Millions Looms in Memory
4 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · May 12
Rising odds of one of the strongest El Niño events on record later this year are reviving comparisons with 1877, when the climate pattern helped drive a global catastrophe that killed millions.
That historical parallel matters because El Niño can sharply disrupt rainfall and temperature patterns, raising the risk of dangerous conditions across multiple regions at once.
The latest report stresses that the world has changed significantly since 1877, suggesting modern forecasting and preparedness may reduce the human toll even if the event proves severe.
Still, the comparison underscores how a powerful El Niño remains a global hazard, with impacts likely to depend on how governments and communities prepare before conditions intensify.
Knowing a 'monster' El Niño is coming, why is the world still so unprepared for the inevitable chaos?
The last 'super El Niño' killed millions. How will climate change make this next one even deadlier?
Could this El Niño trigger a global food crisis and push inflation to unprecedented new heights?