This El Nino has been one of the strongest on record, but it has so far not been enough to completely alleviate the effects of drought and declining snowpack, and it seems to be making flooding worse across the coastal United States.

The morning commute on Lankershim Boulevard in Studio City, California, as drivers navigate large puddles of water from a passing storm on March 7, 2016. Mark Boster | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images

A group of scientists from the National Oceanographic and Oceanic Administration held a press call with reporters Wednesday to discuss the various impacts the pattern has had. Here are some highlights. 1. Flooding: El Nino is compounding the effects of sea-level rise and flooding coastal communities. In general, flooding is becoming more of a problem for coastal communities around the United States, and some areas are dealing with recurring floods even when there are no storms or rain observed in the region, according to William Sweet, an oceanographer for NOAA's National Ocean Service. These floods are often called "nuisance flooding" or "sunny day flooding." NOAA has around 200 tide gauges around the country, including those in the Great Lakes region. These gauges are reporting that the number of days per year where nuisance flooding is occurring somewhere in the country has increased rapidly over the last 50 years.

"El Nino means more East and West Coast tidal flooding," Sweet said. "On the West Coast we see high sea levels for months at a time, and this increases the reach of typical storms and tides. On the East Coast this is bringing more northerly winds, more storms and more storm surges." He added that "El Nino is likely to become more frequent in the future, compounding the effects of sea-level rise." 2. Mountain snowpack levels are still pretty low: El Nino-related precipitation has brought some snow to mountain ranges in parts of the country compared with recent dry spells, but not yet enough to stop gradual declines. "We do have snow across the Sierras, the Cascades and much of the Rockies, but we are actually at all-time lows or close to average in many locations," when compared with historical averages since 1920, said Sarah Kapnick, a physical scientist for NOAA Research.