Proclamation orders early flood-supply staging and National Guard pre-positioning
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Monday ahead of an El Niño storm season that forecasters expect to rank among the strongest on record, with the proclamation enabling state agencies to begin pre-positioning flood supplies and equipment before winter weather arrives.
In a written statement, Newsom said the declaration is intended to help with early statewide preparations for potential winter storms and related events such as flooding and landslides.
“California is strongest when we look out for each other,” Newsom said. “That is what this action is about. Giving communities the support they need, giving first responders the tools to do their jobs and giving families the confidence that their state is ready.”
He added: “We are preparing for this El Nino early because every Californian deserves to be safe in their home, connected to their community and protected when severe weather comes.”
El Niño is a natural climate pattern in the Pacific Ocean that can affect weather worldwide, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The agency said El Niño events can occur every two to seven years and are associated with wetter weather and increased flooding in certain areas, including California.
In the proclamation, Newsom wrote that California has experienced increasingly severe and destructive storms with widespread flooding, landslides, power outages and other associated events over the past few years. The proclamation also noted that climate change has intensified weather extremes.
The declaration allows state agencies to begin planning early for weather events, including preparing roads and other infrastructure, readying emergency supplies and taking measures to reduce flooding and landslide risks.
The proclamation directed state agencies to lead the state’s flood-risk-reduction efforts, stage flood-fighting supplies such as sandbags and pumps and pre-position other critical equipment, the governor’s office said.
The California Department of Transportation will stage traffic-control, road-closure and snow-removal equipment along the highways most at risk.
The proclamation also readies the California National Guard to support flood response, search-and-rescue, engineering and logistics missions when needed.