Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a statewide emergency for California in anticipation of El Niño-charged storms this fall and winter, the latest sign of growing concern about the chance for more flooding, coastal erosion and strong waves in the coming months.
The intensifying El Niño climate pattern is likely to fuel several strong storms that could hit California with heavy rainfall, strong winds, mountain snow and high waves, causing flooding, landslides, debris flows, coastal damage and power outages, the governor’s office warned Monday. The emergency declaration will help coordinate and mobilize supplies and work across the state, including flood mitigation and shoreline protection.
The possibility of this extreme weather “warrants early, coordinated, and targeted preparedness actions to protect Californians, critical infrastructure, agricultural lands, natural resources, and the State’s economy,” the state’s emergency proclamation reads.
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“California is strongest when we look out for one another,” Newsom said in a prepared statement announcing the emergency declaration. “We are preparing for this El Niño early because every Californian deserves to be safe in their home, connected to their community, and protected when severe weather comes.”
Forecasts show there’s a 75% chance this El Niño will be stronger than any other since 1950, and already the event has intensified storms that earlier this month caused serious damage in Southern California.
Although El Niño doesn’t always result in active winters, experts say the pattern is a strong indicator that the West Coast will experience exceptionally wet and potentially dangerous storms — and new research has suggested that human-caused climate change may be making El Niño seasons even more extreme.
“We are so grateful that the governor is being proactive in helping us prepare for El Niño,” said Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley, who had been calling for an emergency declaration for her county since storms eroded beaches and damaged dozens of homes there this month.
Foley said the county is proceeding as though it’s “99.99% guaranteed” it will get torrential rainstorms and a Kelvin wave — a phenomenon that can elevate sea levels for months at a time, especially during a strong El Niño.
After declaring a local emergency last week, Orange County officials also moved to expedite a project to move 200,000 cubic yards of sand from the mouth of the Santa Ana River to the Newport Beach shoreline, where severe coastal erosion has been exposing dangerous, historic structures. Laguna Beach and Dana Point also declared local states of emergency after experiencing serious damage from recent storms.
The statewide emergency will allow for more accelerated permitting through the California Coastal Commission and prioritized support from the California Department of Transportation for more needed projects, Foley said.
“That is a dramatic change that will allow us to expedite getting the sands out there before the rains hit — and we know it’s coming,” she said. “The more we can do to prepare, the less impactful these anticipated storm systems will be on our community.”
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