LOS ANGELES (CNS) – Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass outlined preparations the city is taking ahead of potentially severe weather associated with the El Niño season.
“We’ve already seen powerful surf and coastal erosion cause damage [in the LA area],” Bass said at a Monday morning news conference alongside National Weather Service (NWS) personnel and local officials. “That’s why we’re acting now before the storms arrive.”
Bass said the city was preparing emergency response teams, and crews were inspecting and reinforcing vulnerable sections of the city and burn areas, and prioritizing hillside areas.
City personnel also delivered sand to fire stations for beachside residents to use to protect their homes.
The mayor urged residents to sign up for emergency alerts at notifyla.org, and to download the city’s “my311” app to report things such as downed trees or power lines for city crews to respond to quickly.
“While we don’t know how much wet weather Los Angeles will get this winter, we know what heavy rain and strong winds can do here: streets can flood quickly, trees and power lines can come down, and in the Palisades and other recent burn areas, dangerous mud and debris flows could impact homes,” Bass said. “That’s why we are taking action now to keep Angelenos safe.
“At my direction, city crews have been clearing more than 31,000 catch basins and drainage systems, inspecting and reinforcing vulnerable hillsides and burn areas, pre-positioning emergency equipment, coordinating tree work near power lines, delivering sand to fire stations and ensuring Angelenos have the information they need to stay safe. Los Angeles will be ready.”
Officials detailed the following actions taken by the city:
– Crews have cleared more than 31,000 catch basins and drainage sites and 50 debris basins, including in the Pacific Palisades, to maximize drainage and reduce flooding risks.
– The city is reinforcing erosion controls, including more than 13,000 feet of K-rail and sandbags, and preparing additional protective measures at 25 locations across the city.
– Teams are monitoring nearly 250 high-risk grading and construction sites, prioritizing the Palisades burn scar and other vulnerable hillside areas, where heavy rain could create additional hazards.
– The city is preparing generators, pumps, pumper trucks, sandbags and other emergency resources for rapid deployment. The LA Fire Department is preparing personnel and equipment for storm-related emergencies, including flooding and swift-water rescues.
– The LA Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is preparing crews and resources to respond to potential power outages and protect essential water and power infrastructure.
– The city will coordinate outreach, housing and potential evacuation efforts for people experiencing homelessness in flood-prone areas.
El Niño is a natural climate pattern marked by warmer-than-average ocean temperatures in the tropical eastern Pacific, which can shift weather patterns and bring wetter, more intense, powerful winters to California. A study published in the journal Science last month found El Niño events are now more than 36% stronger than before the industrial era, with that trend accelerating over the last 40 years as the planet warms.
Officials warn this El Niño cycle could bring heavy rain, strong winds, mountain snow and coastal flooding. The looming El Niño event is already breaking records, and forecasters expect it to continue to strengthen, potentially becoming the strongest in recorded history.
State officials said El Niño is strengthening, with a greater than 90% chance of a very strong event this fall and winter and a 75% chance it could reach historic strength. Some forecast models predict the developing El Niño could be the largest in the roughly 150-year observational record. Warmer waters and changing currents can bring tropical and subtropical species well north of their typical ranges.
California has already proclaimed an El Niño emergency, mobilizing state resources ahead of any potential impacts.
Joining Bass at Monday’s briefing was Ariel Cohen, chief meteorologist at the NWS office in LA/Oxnard.
“At this time, we are unable to predict with certainty if destructive weather will occur,” Cohen said. “However, we’re recognizing the risk and we’re encouraging responsible preparedness for the possibilities. Preparation involves much more than reacting to a disaster. Weather preparedness should be a habit, just like putting on a seatbelt.”
In the near future, the NWS has issued a beach hazards statement from Tuesday evening through Thursday evening due to expected dangerous rip currents and elevated surf of 3 to 6 feet, with abnormally high morning and evening tides of 6.5 to 7 feet.
Additionally, forecasters said moisture from Hurricane Rachel will begin to move into the area next Sunday, and will produce a 20%-30% chance of showers over LA County and points south.
