Body of News Release
Marin County, CA – September is National Emergency Preparedness Month, and Marin County is encouraging residents to take steps now to prepare themselves, their families, and their communities for emergencies.
With El Niño conditions anticipated to influence the upcoming winter season, the County’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is emphasizing the importance of preparing for potentially wetter weather, including the possibility of flooding and other storm-related impacts. Visit ReadyMarin to learn more about what you can do to prepare for El Niño.
Through OEM, a division of the Marin County Fire Department, the County works year-round to strengthen emergency preparedness and ensure residents have access to information, resources, and support before, during, and after disasters.
Get Ready with Marin
This September, ReadyMarin, Marin County’s official emergency preparedness program and website, is launching “Get Ready with Marin,” a new campaign encouraging residents to take one preparedness step each week.
The campaign will highlight five simple actions residents can take to become better prepared:
- Sign up for AlertMarin — The official emergency notification system used by all public safety agencies to issue real-time alerts during disasters or life-threatening events.
- Make a plan — Know how to find and get in touch with your people when an emergency happens. Make a Plan and share it with the people close to you.
- Make a go bag — A backpack or tote that’s large enough to store your essential items. You’ll grab your go-bag if you need to evacuate. Your bag can include medications, extra clothes, water and more.
- Make a stay box — Keep supplies on hand in case you need to shelter at home. Plan for what you and members of your household will need to meet daily needs.
- Connect with your neighbors — Building connections before an emergency makes it easier to support one another. Many localized groups take an active interest in emergency preparedness. Get involved today to help your neighborhood strengthen its resilience.
Residents can follow along with the campaign on ReadyMarin social media [Instagram | Facebook | Nextdoor] throughout September and take each step alongside the County.
Strengthening Preparedness
The Marin County Board of Supervisors plans to proclaim September 2026 as National Emergency Preparedness Month in Marin County at its September 8 meeting. Emergency preparedness is one of the Board’s top ongoing priorities and has been consistently among the strongest cited needs in community surveys through the years.
Throughout the month and into the fall, OEM will engage residents through community events and preparedness activities, including the Marin Senior Fair, Canal and Corte Madera Preparedness Day events, and more. The County also plans to host community town halls this fall focused on El Niño awareness and severe weather preparedness. Learn about these events and other emergency preparedness efforts through the County’s ReadyMarin Emergency Preparedness Calendar.
The County continues to strengthen how it prepares for, responds to, and recovers from emergencies:
Updated Emergency Operations Plan: Earlier this year, the County approved an updated Emergency Operations Plan and two additional annexes. The plan provides a roadmap for how local government, first responders, public agencies, and community partners work together during emergencies.
Expanded AlertMarin Notifications: Based on community feedback, new Notification Groups now provide awareness-based information about significant weather, coastal flooding and King Tides, prescribed burns, and riverine and creek flooding. These topics may not meet the threshold for an emergency alert but help residents stay informed about hazards that could affect their communities.
Greater Accessibility: AlertMarin now includes a fully Spanish sign-up experience, the ability to select a preferred language for alerts, and automated text-to-speech to improve the timeliness and accuracy of emergency notifications in English and Spanish.
As Marin prepares for the upcoming winter season, residents are encouraged to use September as an opportunity to review their emergency plans, prepare for severe weather and flooding, and make sure they can receive emergency information.
The September 8 Board of Supervisors 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.