Final answer:
California's heavy rains can often be attributed to El Niño, a warm oceanic phase causing changes in global weather patterns, affecting economies and health.
Step-by-step explanation:
Much of California continues to be soaked by heavy rains from a phenomenon known as El Niño. El Niño is the warm phase of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), characterized by a band of warm ocean water that develops in the equatorial Pacific and can lead to increased rainfall in certain parts of the world, including California. This climatic event has significant impacts on weather patterns globally, which in turn can affect economies, agriculture, and even human health, as changes in climate can contribute to disease outbreaks, such as the increase in hantavirus cases that occurred during the 1992-1993 El Niño when California experienced a surge in deer mouse populations.