Places like California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah and Nevada are (somewhat) used to this sort of phenomenon. You can see how this week's "river" grabs all that moisture from the Pacific and flings it onland.

A persistent trough of low pressure has parked itself along the Pacific Northwest. As it spins counterclockwise it is pumping in a lot of moisture from the West

A strong atmospheric river is moving into Northern and Central California and has prompted flood watches for the Bay Area.

LOS ANGELES (KTLA) – A massive cold front churning off the Pacific Northwest is expected to bring more rain to Southern California next week. The incoming precipitation is forecast from Tuesday to Thursday next week, though the predicted rainfall amounts – a quarter of an inch to an inch, potentially more at higher elevations – […]

As a result, over 13,000 employees with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found their inboxes stuffed with spam. Some users signed the NOAA up for newsletters from entities like the Church Officials in California have revealed that President Donald Trump nearly flooded the region’s farms when his administration tried to send an excessive amount of water south,