With a potential Super El Niño on the horizon this fall and winter, the City of Los Angeles and State of California are working to prepare for some wild weather. Though a wet winter isn’t 100% guaranteed, there’s going to be an increased chance of heavy precipitation, flooding, and landslides. When it comes to weather patterns like El Niño, the watchword is “expect the unexpected” – and our city and state are bringing that perspective to their preparedness plans.

Learn more about how the team efforts of California, Los Angeles, and LAUSD all come together to prepare our community for the season:

State of CA

  • Gov. Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency on September 21st. Though this might sound alarming, it’s actually an important step to hasten preparations for the potential effects of major storms. As a response to the proclamation, “state agencies are coordinating with local communities, staging flood-fighting supplies, inspecting levees and water infrastructure, helping coastal communities prepare for flooding and erosion, and positioning resources to capture and store stormwaters.” 
  • Caltrans is preparing for traffic-control and road closures, and also preparing snow-removal equipment near highways most at risk of being affected by extra snowfall.
  • The Department of Water Resources is already collaborating with local municipalities and the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) to get ready for any floods. These efforts include:
    • Stocking up on supplies at 68 sites throughout the state. That includes 4.4 million sandbags, more than 52,000 feet of “Muscle Wall” (portable flood barriers that crews can use to divert water in a pinch), and 400,000 tons of rock for any necessary levee repairs.
    • Checking out California’s flood-control infrastructure to make sure it’s in good working order
    • Inspecting high-risk dams and alerting the entities that manage all of our State’s dams to the increased chance of overflow.
  • The California Coastal Commission will be speeding up its review of erosion-, flooding-, and landslide-protection projects. (They’re also a great resource for more info on what El Niño means for us!)
  • In early October, California State Parks awarded an emergency contract for repairs to Malibu Pier, to help this SoCal icon stay strong during increased wave and rain action.
  • In the words of Cal OES Director Caroline Thomas Jacobs, “We are not waiting for this season’s storms to be on our doorstep”. By getting these measures underway now, rather than when we’re in the throes of super-sized rainfall and all the potential flooding and landslides that could come with it, the State is helping make sure that we’re all ready for whatever El Niño brings.

County of LA

  • LA County Department of Public Works works year-round to keep the county flood-ready, and the County’s Aging and Disability Department is working to help older adults and those with disabilities stay safe for the storm. This is in addition to other County efforts to protect the region’s unhoused folks.
  • Public Works is offering free engineering assessments of homes. To access an assessment, call the mudflow engineering advice hotline at (800) 933-0930. (Learn from one resident’s experiences in a recent LAist article.)
  • Ready LA County is a great resource hub for getting ahead of mudslides and debris flow.
  • On Ready LA’s page about rain, you can also find their El Niño FAQs and fact sheet.
  • You can stay up-to-date by keeping an eye on LA County Public Works’ Debris and Mudflow Potential Forecast page.
  • And you can sign up for updates from Ready LA here.

City of LA

  • Mayor Karen Bass’ office released a statement on October 5th and another on October 21st detailing what the City’s doing to get our streets ready for the storm. Some highlights include:
    • City crews have cleared more than 31,000 catch basins and drainage sites and 50 debris basins, including in the Pacific Palisades. If you see a catch basin that needs to be cleaned, please call (800) 773-2489.
    • The City is reinforcing erosion controls with more than 13,000 feet of K-rail and sandbags, and preparing additional protective measures at 25 locations. 
    • Teams are monitoring nearly 250 high-risk grading and construction sites, prioritizing the Palisades burn scar.
    • LA is readying emergency equipment, like generators, pumps, pumper trucks, and sandbags. The City is making sure that all these supplies will be available and in good working order before any storms hit.
    • LAFD is getting its firefighters prepared for emergencies, like flooding and swift-water rescues.
    • LADWP is preparing for potential power outages. You can report outages to LADWP at 1-800-342-5397.
    • The City will coordinate outreach, housing, and possible evacuation efforts for unhoused people in flood-prone areas. 
  • LA residents can pick up free sand and sandbags at city fire stations if they live in a burn scar or flood-prone area. Learn how you can access this resource here.
  • Check out the City’s El Niño Preparedness page for more information.

LAUSD

  • The schools are getting ready for the storm too! In a recent statement, LAUSD published some of what they’re up to this pre-storm season:
    • Maintenance and Operations staff across the district are: clearing drains and gutters; checking roofs, windows, and doors; trimming trees near power lines; and testing pumps and emergency lighting.
  • School emergency bins are being stocked with flashlights and drinking water. 
  • Year-round, LAUSD schools keep their emergency preparedness plan in mind. This includes running drills for students and faculty.
  • In the words of Superintendent Andrés E. Chait, “Preparing for severe weather starts well before the first raindrop.” 

Though it’s natural to be stressed about the storm, it can be comforting to know all the things that the State, City, and LAUSD are doing in anticipation of El Niño. No matter what happens this fall and winter, we’ll be facing it with preparedness together.

Curious to learn more about El Niño? This article is part of a series: learn more about the “first flush” as it relates to El Niño, and how you can prepare your home and garden.