The Western states are experiencing an historic drought. But a strong El Niño is building in the Pacific. Forecast models predict a strong event. That raises several questions. Will the rain bring relief or devasting floods and mudslides? Will it come at all? How soon can the government predict the effects of this year's storm so agencies and citizens can prepare? For answers, we turn to Mike Halpert, Deputy Director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center in College Park. He spoke with Tom Temin on the Federal Drive for an inside look at El Niño forecasting