Sacramento, CA — Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed a State of Emergency proclamation to prepare for the potential of historic El Niño weather conditions over the coming months.
Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil, who represents the Mother Lode region, says the proclamation mobilizes state resources in advance of anticipated winter storms. Forecasters expect a “strong to very strong El Niño,” with elevated risks of heavy rainfall, flooding, landslides, debris flows, high winds, mountain snow, and flooding. Historical strong El Niño years have produced widely varying statewide precipitation, and models currently indicate a strong likelihood of intense rainfall events.
The statement from her office adds, “Senate District 4 communities face particular exposure to river flooding, levee and infrastructure stress, landslides, and winter travel disruptions. The state action streamlines contracts, permits, and projects; pre- positions personnel, equipment, sandbags, rock, pumps, and other flood-fight materials; and coordinates with local and tribal governments.”
In addition, the California Department of Water Resources reports 4.4 million sandbags, 400,000 tons of rock, 68 stockpile locations, 8 warehouses, and 211 material containers staged statewide, along with workshops, flood-fight trainings, levee contingency planning, and more than 300,000 flood-risk notifications already sent to property owners.
She encourages residents of the district to prepare by knowing your surroundings (flood zones and nearby waterways), making a plan (identify potential evacuation routes), organizing supplies (medication and important documents), and monitoring local emergency information.
