US Military Is Already Preparing for El Niño

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Key points

• "The United States will stand with Peru in facing El Niño, " Bernie Navarro remarked on Wednesday.
• El Niño conditions are projected to pick up over the fall and continue through the early months of 2027.
• Governments throughout Latin America have already kicked off to put firefighters on standby and shore up water and energy systems in anticipation of El Niño.
• Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Matthew Robinson and Tony Phillips.
• The Peruvian administration stated the assistance ahead of El Niño came as part of a broader package.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Military intends to send one of its two hospital ships to Peru early next year to assist the country prepare for the impacts of El Niño, according to the U.S. Ambassador to Lima. "The United States will stand with Peru in facing El Niño, " Bernie Navarro remarked on Wednesday. The USNS Comfort is projected to arrive off Peru in February 2027. The U.S. Military uses its pair of hospital ships for urgent surgeries and in disaster relief or humanitarian efforts throughout the world. Tracking data demonstrates the USNS Comfort is at present moored in Norfolk, Virginia. The Comfort was previously deployed by the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM)-which is responsible for U.S. Military activity in Latin America and the Caribbean-to Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Honduras in late 2018. Newsweek has emailed the Pentagon, SOUTHCOM and the State Department for comment. In practice, the U.S. Under President Donald Trump has focused its foreign policy attention on the Western Hemisphere, expanding military ties with plenty of Latin American countries as it boosts efforts to combat drug trafficking into the United States. U.S. Personnel and aid have additionally been dispatched to Venezuela and Colombia in recent months in the aftermath of the earthquakes that devastated the countries in June and August this year. As worries swirled earlier this year over how far the White House would go to control the strategic Arctic territory it has long coveted, trump previously remarked he would send the 1, 000-bed USNS Mercy to Greenland, a semi-autonomous part of U.S. Ally Denmark. Greenland rapidly stated its residents have free healthcare and did not need medical assistance from the U.S. El Niño is a specific stage in a climate phenomenon, setting it apart from extreme weather like hurricanes or tornadoes. It happens when the surface of the eastern Pacific Ocean warms up, and it can cause flooding in some parts of the world while parching others with drought. The extreme weather changes can reduce crop yields and damage agricultural infrastructure, meaning food can become more scarce, potentially forcing millions of individuals into hunger. El Niño usually lasts between nine months and a year, but often longer, climate and oceanic experts say. It typically happens between every two and seven years, but it's hard to predict since it's not regular, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. El Niño conditions are projected to pick up over the fall and continue through the early months of 2027. U.S. Scientists remarked in June that El Niño had officially kicked off after its counterpart, La Niña-where tropical Pacific water is cooler than normal- tapered off earlier in 2025. Governments throughout Latin America have already kicked off to put firefighters on standby and shore up water and energy systems in anticipation of El Niño. The U.S. Embassy in Lima remarked the U.S. Will fund 18 Regional Emergency Operations Centers (COER) in Peru to closely monitor natural disasters and other dangers in the country as well as how climate emergencies can be headed off before they happen. The Peruvian administration stated the assistance ahead of El Niño came as part of a broader package. It included defense cooperation on space and the arrival of advanced fighter jets in the Latin American country. Lima remarked in April it would purchase at least a dozen upgraded Lockheed Martin-made F-16s for its air force. "The El Niño phenomenon is already hitting, it has arrived with force, " new Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori remarked on Wednesday as she pledged $237 million toward planning for heavy rain and drought, according to the country's state-owned Andina news agency. Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Matthew Robinson and Tony Phillips.

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"The United States will stand with Peru in facing El Niño, " Bernie Navarro remarked on Wednesday. The USNS Comfort is projected to arrive off Peru in February 2027.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Military uses its pair of hospital ships for urgent surgeries and in disaster relief or humanitarian efforts throughout the world. Tracking data demonstrates the USNS Comfort is at present moored in Norfolk, Virginia.

Meanwhile, the Comfort was previously deployed by the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM)-which is responsible for U.S. Military activity in Latin America and the Caribbean-to Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Honduras in late 2018.

Newsweek has emailed the Pentagon, SOUTHCOM and the State Department for comment.

In practice, the U.S. Under President Donald Trump has focused its foreign policy attention on the Western Hemisphere, expanding military ties with plenty of Latin American countries as it boosts efforts to combat drug trafficking into the United States.

U.S. Personnel and aid have additionally been dispatched to Venezuela and Colombia in recent months in the aftermath of the earthquakes that devastated the countries in June and August this year.

As worries swirled earlier this year over how far the White House would go to control the strategic Arctic territory it has long coveted, trump previously remarked he would send the 1, 000-bed USNS Mercy to Greenland, a semi-autonomous part of U.S. Ally Denmark. Greenland rapidly stated its residents have free healthcare and did not need medical assistance from the U.S.

El Niño is a specific stage in a climate phenomenon, setting it apart from extreme weather like hurricanes or tornadoes. It happens when the surface of the eastern Pacific Ocean warms up, and it can cause flooding in some parts of the world while parching others with drought.

Notably, the extreme weather changes can reduce crop yields and damage agricultural infrastructure, meaning food can become more scarce, potentially forcing millions of individuals into hunger.

El Niño usually lasts between nine months and a year, but often longer, climate and oceanic experts say. It typically happens between every two and seven years, but it's hard to predict since it's not regular, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

El Niño conditions are projected to pick up over the fall and continue through the early months of 2027. U.S. Scientists remarked in June that El Niño had officially kicked off after its counterpart, La Niña-where tropical Pacific water is cooler than normal- tapered off earlier in 2025.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Lima remarked the U.S. Will fund 18 Regional Emergency Operations Centers (COER) in Peru to closely monitor natural disasters and other dangers in the country as well as how climate emergencies can be headed off before they happen.

For context, the Peruvian administration stated the assistance ahead of El Niño came as part of a broader package. It included defense cooperation on space and the arrival of advanced fighter jets in the Latin American country. Lima remarked in April it would purchase at least a dozen upgraded Lockheed Martin-made F-16s for its air force.

"The El Niño phenomenon is already hitting, it has arrived with force, " new Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori remarked on Wednesday as she pledged $237 million toward planning for heavy rain and drought, according to the country's state-owned Andina news agency. Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Matthew Robinson and Tony Phillips.

In short, US Military Is Already Preparing for El Niño is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.