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Date: |
November 17, 2026 |
05 |
Title
Local Emergency Review: Review of El Niño Emergency Proclamation and Anticipated Impacts (Districts: All)
End
Overview
On September 30, 2026, the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of the County of San Diego (County), as Director of Emergency Services, issued a Proclamation of Local Emergency due to potential severe weather and impacts associated with this season’s upcoming El Niño weather event. Weather authorities have predicted that there is a high chance that this season's El Niño will exceed the strength of previous El Niño events dating back to 1950. This season’s El Niño is expected to persist through May 2027, with winter months anticipated to experience above-average rainfall, more frequent and intense storms, and increased flooding and landslide risk. The Proclamation was issued pursuant to San Diego County Code of Regulatory Ordinances sections 31.101 et seq. and California Government Code Section 8630. Government Code section 8630(c) requires local governing bodies to review the need for continuing the local emergency at least once every 60 days until the local emergency is terminated.
On October 6, 2026 (10), the County Board of Supervisors (Board) ratified the Proclamation of Local Emergency and directed the CAO to continue reviewing the need for the county-wide local emergency pursuant to Government Code section 8630 to determine whether continuation or termination is warranted and directed the Office of Emergency Services to continue monitoring El Niño conditions and coordinating preparedness efforts with regional partners.
The continued local emergency proclamation also supports alignment with the State of California’s emergency response efforts following Governor Gavin Newsom’s September 21, 2026, statewide emergency declaration for El Niño preparedness. This alignment strengthens coordination between state and local agencies, supports the mobilization of resources, and enhances the County’s ability to prepare for and respond to potential flooding, infrastructure impacts, and other severe weather emergencies.
Today’s action requests the Board find that a review of the local emergency has been conducted and that the local emergency shall remain in effect.
Body
Recommendation by Chief Administrative Officer:
Find that there is a need to continue the local emergency and that the local emergency shall continue subject to review requirements until terminated pursuant to Government Code section 8630(d).
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Equity Impact Statement
Severe weather and flooding can impact communities differently. Residents with disabilities, older adults, children, people with limited English proficiency, people without reliable transportation, and households with limited financial resources may face additional challenges preparing for, responding to, and recovering from an emergency. The County of San Diego's (County) preparedness efforts include planning for these needs, removing barriers, allowing the County to pre-position and deploy resources rapidly to areas previously impacted by historic weather events, and working with community organizations and other trusted partners to provide accessible information and connect residents with available resources. The Severe Weather Operations Plan outlines the County’s approach to monitoring developing weather conditions, facilitating regional resource coordination, and supporting the mobilization of flood preparations and response. The County Office of Emergency Services will coordinate emergency alerting and resources among our local emergency management and community partners during flood-related emergencies to ensure our communities are notified of weather-related incidents in a timely manner.
Sustainability Impact Statement
Today’s proposed actions align with the County of San Diego’s (County) Sustainability Goals of providing just and equitable access and protecting health and well-being. Renewing the Proclamation of County-Wide Emergency supports proactive preparedness measures to strengthen the community’s ability to prepare for, respond to, and mitigate the potential impacts of El Niño weather events. Additionally, maintaining the proclamation may facilitate expedited purchasing and procurement of essential resources, equipment, supplies, and services necessary to support emergency response operations, consistent with applicable laws and County procurement policies.
Fiscal Impact
There is no fiscal impact associated with this request to continue the proclamation of local emergency. There will be no change in net General Fund costs and no additional staff years. Staff will return to the Board of Supervisors for consideration and approval of fiscal impacts associated with future recommendations related to this proclamation if needed.
Business Impact Statement
N/A
Advisory Board Statement
N/A
Background
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center has identified rapidly strengthening El Niño conditions in the tropical Pacific Ocean, with forecasters assigning a high likelihood of a very strong event. Should this forecast hold, San Diego County can expect significantly above-average precipitation and elevated risk of flooding, landslides, debris flows, and coastal erosion throughout the 2026-2027 rainy season. Given the demonstrated potential for extreme peril to the safety of persons and property, the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), as Director of Emergency Services, proclaimed the existence of a local emergency on September 30, 2026, pursuant to Government Code section 8630, to authorize the County of San Diego (County) to undertake early, coordinated preparedness action in advance of anticipated storm impacts.
The CAO’s proclamation is designed to address the community’s needs from the County before, rather than after, the onset of severe weather. The proclamation authorizes a coordinated set of preparedness actions across County departments, including expedited emergency procurement of supplies and equipment; inspection and readiness of stormwater infrastructure and County facilities; coordination with Behavioral Health Services, Aging and Independence Services, and Animal Services to support vulnerable residents and their animals during evacuation or sheltering; and multilingual public outreach to residents, community-based organizations, businesses, and school districts to ensure the region's most vulnerable populations receive timely, actionable information. It also reactivates the County's City/Government Coordination Sector to facilitate bi-directional coordination with the region's cities and special districts, ensuring a unified regional response as conditions develop.
Diverse and multi-faceted communications to the community continue to help residents prepare for the potential impacts of El Niño, and they will expand based on input, data and emerging circumstances. Communications to the community regarding preparations is ongoing and recent examples include the County Library distributing informational flyers, sharing updates through social media and the library website, and providing library spaces for community meetings and outreach tabling; and Public Health Services has conducted preparedness exercises with regional partners and provided healthcare and long-term care stakeholders with storm readiness resources and emergency contact information and is proactively providing education and resources on emergency preparedness to families attending food distribution events throughout the county.
Other efforts to reach broad and focused audiences have included: El Niño-related preparedness messaging across all County digital platforms, including social media and regional newsletters; coordination with local media and partners to amplify preparedness information; Housing and Community Development Services informing unsheltered residents in unincorporated areas of inclement weather and sharing emergency preparedness materials with rental assistance program participants; the Health and Human Services Agency’s coordination with partners through the Live Well San Diego framework; the Department of Public Works (DPW) providing community presentations at Live Well centers and for Community Emergency Response Team training events; the Office of Emergency Services presenting at various elected officials’ town hall events, Fire Safe Councils, senior centers, and dozens of other organization; and the Department of Economic Development and Government Affairs (EDGA) hosting city/government sector calls every three weeks. EDGA has also developed and launched an El Niño Preparedness for Businesses Flyer to help local businesses prepare for potential impacts, including flooding and storm-related disruptions. EDGA is additionally looking at hosting a webinar in mid-November to share preparedness information with local small businesses.
In addition to engaging with community, the County has taken specific measures to help prepare our residents, our staff, and our infrastructure. These efforts include DPW vigilantly restocking sand and sandbags as supplies get low, and CAL FIRE adding sand at locations where there is anticipated rain and having their roving apparatus available to bring sand and bags to any heavily impacted area. Staff are also exploring various options for those with functional needs that make sandbag placement difficult, including working with non-profits and researching options for sandbags that deploy when water impacts them. DPW continues to evaluate infrastructure, identify and contract for emergency culvert replacement projects, and clear storm drains.
The San Diego County Fire Protection District, in coordination with regional partners, maintains a comprehensive preparedness and response framework to address the impacts associated with significant weather events. Through established incident command structures, specialized water rescue teams, flood response resources, and pre-planned coordination measures, County Fire is positioned to provide a rapid and scalable response to protect life, property, and critical infrastructure throughout San Diego County.
Preparation efforts also include HHSA exploring expanding capacity through new and existing contracts to enhance support for impacted residents, including addressing emergency/temporary housing, food, and health needs.
The Board of Supervisors’ (Board) renewal of the Proclamation of Local Emergency will: (1) remove barriers that could limit the County’s ability to proactively pre-deploy resources and rapidly respond to emergency needs in our communities; (2) facilitate requests by the County and other local governments for state and federal assistance under the State and Federal Disaster Assistance Programs; and (3) allow the Chief Administrative Officer (or authorized official) to take preventive measures necessary to protect and preserve public health and safety.
Today’s actions request the Board find that a review of the local emergency has been conducted and that the local emergency shall remain in effect.
Linkage to the County of San Diego Strategic Plan
Today’s proposed actions support the Sustainability, Community, and Justice Strategic Initiatives in the County of San Diego’s 2026-31 Strategic Plan by ensuring the capability to respond to and recover from immediate needs for individuals, families, and the region; supporting safety for all communities, including community preparedness and regional readiness to respond to a disaster; and advancing equal protection and meaningful involvement of all people with respect to environmental policies with an urgent focus on historically underserved communities.
Respectfully submitted,
Ebony N. Shelton
Chief Administrative Officer
Attachment(s)
Proclamation of Emergency