Strong El Niño could bring heavy rain and flooding to California’s Central Coast
Central Coast officials are preparing for a potentially wet winter as a strong El Niño is expected to bring heavy rain, flooding, and other impacts to the region.
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. —
A strong El Niño is expected to bring heavy rain and flooding to California’s Central Coast this winter, prompting local officials to take proactive measures to prepare for the season.
“As of this morning, we are probably looking at the strongest El Niño in our recorded lifetime,” said Robert Lund, a statistical climatologist at UC Santa Cruz.
Lund highlighted several potential impacts for the region, including flooding in low-lying areas, sea level changes, beach erosion, damaged harbors, and inland flooding caused by heavy rainstorms. He also noted the risk of erosion in areas affected by fire scars.
County leaders said they are coordinating with the National Weather Service to prepare for the effects of El Niño.
“Some of the regular things that we do [include ensuring] that the systems that move water, like culverts, we go and inspect levees and make any repairs necessary there, [and] we’ll look at roadside ditches and make sure those are clear,” officials said.
Officials also plan to set up several sandbag stations throughout the county before the rain begins.
“We also encourage people to sign up for CRUZ Aware and to know your evacuation zone in case there actually is an emergency and people need to get going,” officials said. “Also, make sure you have your family readiness kit ready to go.”
They added, “Make sure your gutters are clear. If you see that there is going to be a big storm coming, sign up for our emergency alerts.”
The county has a 24-hour dispatch line available for residents to report any issues at any time.
For more information you can visit the County’s website.