SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Authorities have proclaimed an emergency ahead of the developing El Niño season which threatens to bring unusually heavy rain to the area this winter.
Forecasters say there is a 75 percent chance El Niño could reach historic levels.
The county's proclamation announced Tuesday afternoon by Sonoma County supervisors follows Gov. Gavin Newsom's statewide emergency declaration two weeks ago.
"The best time to prepare for a flood is before a storm," Supervisor Rebecca Hermosillo said in the announcement. "We know that this could be a particularly strong El Niño season, so we need to make sure we are prepared before the rains even start."
Supervisors also reviewed countywide storm preparations. Crews are clearing culverts and flood-control channels, checking roads and other locations with histories of flooding or slides, and staging sandbags, barricades, and other equipment.
Emergency managers are preparing for increased staffing and emergency operations. The county is also readying rainfall, stream, and reservoir monitoring systems for winter.
The proclamation directs county departments, Sonoma Water, and sanitation districts to prepare a countywide list prioritizing threatened or vulnerable infrastructure. It also directs county departments to coordinate a response with cities, special districts, tribal partners, and state emergency managers.
Newsom's statewide proclamation found that conditions of extreme peril exist and that anticipated impacts would likely require combined resources from multiple jurisdictions and mutual aid regions.
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