Updated
Updated · KABC-TV · Sep 21
California Declares Emergency for Historic El Niño as Winter Storm Threat Builds
Updated
Updated · KABC-TV · Sep 21

California Declares Emergency for Historic El Niño as Winter Storm Threat Builds

3 articles · Updated · KABC-TV · Sep 21

Summary

  • Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a statewide emergency Monday, putting California agencies on alert before what officials expect could become a historic El Niño season.
  • The order is meant to speed preparation for the rainy season by directing crews to shore up roads and critical infrastructure, pre-position emergency supplies and help communities get ready.
  • Flooding, landslides and coastal damage are the main risks officials are preparing for as forecasters expect El Niño to strengthen in the coming months.
  • The declaration signals California is treating the coming winter as a statewide hazard rather than waiting for storms to begin before mobilizing resources.

Insights

With a Super El Niño threatening $60 billion in property, is California's emergency declaration enough to prevent historic coastal devastation?
Could the unpredictable nature of this incoming El Niño leave California prepared for floods but blind to a sudden water storage crisis?