Public works employee cleaning clogged storm drain in San Francisco. A San Francisco Public Works employee works to unclog a drain in San Francisco, Calif. on Dec. 11, 2014. San Francisco was reeling under a Pacific storm that flooded transit stations, grounded flights and left more than 90,000 people without power. (Photo: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg)

Meteorologists nationwide — the National Weather Service, California Department of Water Resources, U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — have decided to begin rating atmospheric rivers (AR), storms that have the potential for millions of dollars in losses and severe flooding. But what exactly is an atmospheric river? It's a long, narrow river of condensed water vapor in the atmosphere that moves with the weather.

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Christine G. Barlow, CPCU

Christine G. Barlow, CPCU, is Executive Editor of FC&S Expert Coverage Interpretation, a division of National Underwriter Company and ALM. Christine has over thirty years’ experience in the insurance industry, beginning as a claims adjuster then working as an underwriter and underwriting supervisor handling personal lines. Christine regularly presents and moderates webinars on a variety of topics and is an experienced presenter.