Body of News Release
Marin County, CA – With meteorologists preparing for El Niño conditions in the Pacific region this fall and winter, the County of Marin is ramping up public awareness. County public safety officials plan to present their readiness strategy to the Marin County Board of Supervisors on August 18.
Administrators will be joined by the Department of Public Works (DPW) and the Marin County Fire Department’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) as they outline how County departments and regional partners plan for the forecasted El Niño season. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an El Niño pattern is when Pacific trade winds weaken and warm water is pushed toward the west coast of the Americas. The result can be significantly wetter and more extreme weather in California.
During a recent town hall hosted by state Senator Mike McGuire, Dr. Sophia Merrifield of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography explained that the combination of El Niño and the timing of king tides could result in “likely the highest sea levels ever recorded on the California coast associated with this event.” While forecasters continue to refine the weather outlook, they emphasize that an El Niño is not a guarantee of single severe weather event. Rather, it increases the potential for conditions that can contribute to flooding and other impacts when combined with atmospheric rivers, king tides, high winds, saturated soils, and storm surge.
“The most important message for the community is simple: Preparedness is a shared and essential responsibility. Don’t wait for the first atmospheric river to think about your disaster readiness,” said OEM Director Steven Torrence. “We can’t predict how this winter will unfold, but we can prepare for the wide range of possibilities.”
The County and regional partners are already planning, coordinating, and training, so Marin is as ready as possible if conditions deteriorate. The public is encouraged to do the same, prepare by taking a few simple steps now, while we are enjoying the summer weather.
Residents are encouraged to:
- Sign up for AlertMarin, the County’s primary emergency alerting system.
- Review family emergency plans.
- Assemble or refresh emergency supply kits.
- Prepare your home and businesses by clearing gutters, drains, trimming vegetation, servicing pumps, etc.
The most concerning El Niño impacts often occur when multiple hazards happen simultaneously, such as a king tide event coinciding with heavy rainfall, a storm surge, and strong winds. Marin County has many miles of roads adjacent to San Francisco Bay, the Pacific Ocean, and other waterways that could be underwater and impassible in the worst conditions.
Some of the coordinated preparedness efforts that will be discussed at the Board meeting include:
- A countywide readiness strategy focused on translating forecast information into practical action before storms arrive.
- Evaluation of temporary flood mitigation measures and coordinated operational planning well before the winter season begins.
- Highlighting AlertMarin’s capabilities designed to provide location-specific awareness messaging to those in areas likely to experience coastal, bay, creek, and roadway flooding.
- A comprehensive series of emergency exercises involving County departments, cities, towns, first responders, public works agencies, utilities, and other Operational Area partners.
- Efforts to apply lessons learned from recent California flood events and collaboration with the National Weather Service to improve local forecasting, decision-making, and public communication.
- Preparedness resources are available on the County’s Ready Marin webpage. During storm season, emergency updates will be available on the County’s Emergency Portal as well as the County’s social media platforms.
The August 18 Board meeting begins at 9 AM in the Board chamber, Suite 330, at the Marin County Civic Center, 3501 Civic Center Drive, San Rafael. Meetings are livestreamed on the County website and aired locally on Channel 27 for Comcast and AT&T U-Verse subscribers. Meeting participation guidelines are provided on the County website as well.
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For disability accommodations, please phone (415) 473-6358 (voice), CA Relay 711, or e-mail County staff in advance of the event. The County will do its best to fulfill requests received with less than five business days’ notice. Copies of documents are available in alternative formats, upon request.