From the battered coastline of California to the smokey skies of Indonesia, the 1997-98 edition of El Niño may yet prove to be "the weather event of the century."

El Niño has already caused an estimated $1 billion damage in the U.S. -- and is blamed for hundreds of deaths worldwide.

And forecasters expect the ocean-warming phenomenon to churn up more mischief through the spring.

CNN's Jim Moret and Joie Chen take a closer look at El Niño's wrath in this special report.

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