Body of News Release
Marin County, CA – Marin County closed out National Preparedness Month with a clear message: Building community resilience is a year-round shared commitment.
Throughout September, the Marin County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and ReadyMarin worked with community partners to bring preparedness information directly into neighborhoods, workplaces, community events, and public spaces. The month-long effort focused on practical steps people can take before an emergency while strengthening the systems, partnerships, and resources the County will rely on when one occurs.
Strengthening AlertMarin
One of the County’s primary preparedness efforts this month was a countywide test of AlertMarin, Marin’s primary emergency notification system.
On September 26, OEM conducted a countywide test, sending notifications by phone, text, and email to registered users in English or Spanish based on their account settings. The test successfully reached subscribers across approximately 46,000 Marin households, representing just under half of households countywide.
The County also saw nearly 1,000 new AlertMarin subscribers between September 1 and the end of the month, reflecting the impact of the countywide outreach effort and the community’s growing participation in emergency preparedness.
For people who did not receive the September 26 test, the County encourages them to sign up on OEM’s Public Emergency Portal or log in to their existing account to check that their contact information and addresses are current. AlertMarin users can register multiple addresses and select how they want to receive notifications.
OEM also introduced new optional notification groups to provide informational notifications about hazards that may not meet the threshold for an emergency alert but can still affect daily life. Those include coastal flooding and king tides, prescribed burns, riverine and creek flooding, significant traffic disruptions, and significant weather.
These notifications are designed to give people more time to be aware of potential impacts and prepare before conditions develop. This will be especially useful as the County prepares for the potential impacts of El Niño and the winter storm season ahead. The notification groups supplement, but do not replace, emergency alerts issued when there is an immediate threat to life or safety.
Preparing for El Niño
With the AlertMarin test complete, the County is turning its preparedness efforts toward the upcoming winter season. Current outlooks indicate that a strong El Niño could increase the potential for a wetter and more active winter, although seasonal forecasts cannot predict when or where individual storms will occur. Marin could experience atmospheric rivers, flooding, coastal flooding and king tides, strong winds, erosion, landslides, power outages, and transportation disruptions.
The County’s dedicated El Niño & Winter Storm Preparedness webpage, brings together information on what El Niño is, how people can prepare, and how the County is preparing. The page also features a Hazard Look-Up Map to help people understand potential winter hazards in their area, including where multiple hazards may overlap or compound one another.
On September 29, the Marin County Board of Supervisors approved a $3.021 million investment in winter storm preparedness to strengthen flood protection, protect critical infrastructure, expand emergency response capabilities, and support community preparedness. The County is using the months ahead to strengthen infrastructure, stage equipment, improve coordination, and provide the public with information and resources to prepare for potential impacts.
A New Resource
The County is also closing out National Preparedness Month with a new resource designed to strengthen Marin’s ability to prepare for and recover from disasters.
OEM partnered with West Marin Fund to establish the Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Recovery Fund, creating a resource to support preparedness activities such as community education, emergency planning, multilingual outreach, and emergency supplies, while also providing flexible financial support following a disaster.
The recovery fund is designed to help fill gaps when traditional state or federal assistance is unavailable, delayed, or does not meet a community’s needs. Funds can support communities affected by emergencies, with a focus on helping people who may face additional barriers to accessing traditional disaster assistance.
The fund represents a significant step forward in building community resilience - not only strengthening preparedness before an emergency but creating a resource that can help communities recover afterward.
Together, the County’s work on emergency alerts, winter preparedness, infrastructure, community partnerships, and disaster recovery strengthens Marin’s ability to prepare before an emergency, respond when conditions change, and recover with resilience.
Shared Responsibility
The County encourages everyone to take a few basic steps now:
- 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.
Preparedness information and winter storm resources are available at ReadyMarin.org/ElNiño. During an emergency, the public should visit Emergency.MarinCounty.gov for the latest information and updates.’
“Preparedness is not something we can accomplish in a single month or by any one agency,” said OEM Director Steven Torrence. “It takes individuals, families, neighborhoods, community organizations, and local government working together. September gave us an opportunity to strengthen those connections, test our systems, and build on the work already underway as we prepare for the winter season.”
September may mark the end of National Preparedness Month, but the work continues. Every step taken now – from signing up for an emergency alert to preparing a household, strengthening a neighborhood connection, or investing in community resources – helps Marin be better prepared for what comes next.