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California declares statewide emergency amid record-breaking El Niño forecasts: Which counties are affected?
California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a statewide emergency as the state braces for a potentially unprecedented El Niño.
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California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a statewide emergency declaration on Monday as the Golden State prepares for what state officials caution may prove to be the most powerful El Niño phenomenon ever documented.
The emergency proclamation enables California to deploy resources in anticipation of potentially severe winter weather events, encompassing flooding, landslides, and coastal erosion, as per KTLA.
“The emerging El Niño event is already breaking records, and forecasters expect it to continue to strengthen, potentially becoming the strongest in recorded history,” Newsom’s office stated.
El Niño phenomena may result in elevated surf conditions and severe weather events affecting the state, circumstances that necessitate, “early, coordinated, and targeted preparedness actions to protect Californians, critical infrastructure, agricultural lands, natural resources, and the State’s economy,” read the state’s emergency proclamation.
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Statewide emergency declared in California due to El Niño threat
“California is strongest when we look out for one another. That is what this action is about,” Newsom stated on Monday while announcing the emergency declaration. “Giving communities the support they need, giving first responders the tools to do their jobs, and giving families the confidence that their state is ready.”
State agencies have received directives to position sandbags, pumps, and additional flood mitigation apparatus, whereas Caltrans will ready road-closure and snow-removal apparatus along susceptible thoroughfares.
The California National Guard is being mobilized to provide support for flood response, search-and-rescue operations, and logistical assistance as circumstances may require.
Which counties are impacted?
In conjunction with the statewide proclamation, the governor issued emergency declarations across several counties, including Santa Barbara County, which had sustained considerable damage from recent storm activity.
This action reflects escalating concerns regarding coastal destruction attributable to El Niño.
Residential properties spanning from southern Orange County through Malibu experienced significant flooding and structural damage. Coastal erosion has progressively compromised the shoreline extending from Carlsbad to Long Beach.
Orange County administrators declared the activation of their emergency operations center, a mandatory protocol triggered when multiple municipalities within the county issue local emergency declarations.
Within San Diego County, Carlsbad issued a local emergency declaration to protect Carlsbad Boulevard, commonly referred to as Old Highway 101, from substantial coastal erosion.
El Niño likely to reach US West Coast
An El Niño-influenced phenomenon known as a "coastally trapped Kelvin wave" is advancing northward along Mexico's coastline and is projected to reach the U.S. West Coast in the coming weeks.
The upcoming winter season is anticipated to bring increased severe weather events. According to government forecasters, there is a 75% probability that this current El Niño episode will exceed the intensity of any other occurrence recorded since 1950. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center reported Thursday that there is a 98% likelihood El Niño will reach "very strong" conditions throughout the three-month period concluding in December.
