Science Kids Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Bomb Cyclones, Atmospheric Rivers, Floods and Extreme Weather Atmospheric rivers are like rivers in the sky, transporting massive amounts of water vapor from tropical regions to mid latitude areas. They play a crucial role in Earth's water transportation, but can also bring both blessings and curses to the regions they impact. As climate change intensifies, these atmospheric river storms are expected to increase in volume and intensity, posing challenges such as flash flooding and landslides while also providing much-needed precipitation in drought-prone areas.