El Niño Is Coming: What It Means—and What You Can Do Now to Prepare

Nuestra Comunidad wants our communities to be informed, prepared, and ready—not afraid.

Over the past several days, we have heard many questions from community members about El Niño.

What exactly is El Niño? How serious could it be? Does the Governor’s State of Emergency mean a disaster is about to happen? Should families be doing something now?

At Nuestra Comunidad, we understand why people are concerned. Many of the communities we serve have lived through wildfires, floods, power outages, evacuations, earthquakes, severe storms, and other emergencies. When people begin hearing terms like “State of Emergency” and “historic El Niño,” it is natural to wonder what this could mean for your family and your community.

Our message is simple:

Be aware. Get informed. Prepare now. Don’t panic.

The best time to prepare for severe weather is before the rain begins.

First, What Is El Niño?

El Niño is a naturally occurring climate pattern involving unusually warm ocean temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean.

Those warmer waters can change atmospheric circulation and influence weather patterns around the world.

For California, El Niño can increase the potential for stronger storms and significant rainfall. Possible impacts can include:

• Heavy rain
• Flooding
• Strong winds
• Power outages
• Landslides and debris flows
• Road closures
• Mountain snow
• Coastal flooding and large waves

But there is an important distinction:

El Niño does not mean that every community in California will experience flooding, nor does it guarantee that a particular storm will occur.

El Niño changes the conditions and increases certain risks. Where individual storms develop, how much rain they produce, and exactly which communities will be affected cannot be determined months in advance.

That is why preparedness—not panic—is the appropriate response.

Why Did California Declare a State of Emergency?

On September 21, Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a State of Emergency as California prepares for the developing 2026–27 El Niño season.

The declaration is an effort to prepare early rather than wait until severe weather arrives.

It allows the state to move more quickly to stage resources, prepare roads and infrastructure, position flood-fighting supplies and equipment, coordinate with local governments, and prepare for potential flooding, landslides, debris flows, coastal impacts, and other severe-weather emergencies.

For families, the declaration should be viewed as an important reminder:

If the state is preparing early, we should prepare our households early too.

10 Things You Can Do Now to Prepare

You don’t have to do everything in one day. Start with one or two steps and continue building your preparedness over the coming weeks.

1. Sign Up for Local Emergency Alerts

Don’t depend solely on social media for emergency information.

Make sure you are registered for your city or county’s emergency alert system. Check that other members of your household are registered as well.

During an emergency, follow information from your local emergency management agency, fire department, law enforcement agency, National Weather Service, and other trusted sources.

2. Know Your Flood Risk

Ask an important question now:

Could my home, workplace, school, or normal travel route be affected by flooding?

Pay particular attention if you live near a creek, river, low-lying area, coastline, or an area that has flooded previously.

People living downhill from areas recently affected by wildfire should also be especially aware of the potential for debris flows and mudslides during intense rainfall.

3. Make a Family Emergency Plan

Your household should know:

• Where you would go if you had to evacuate
• At least two ways to leave your neighborhood
• Where family members would meet if separated
• Who your out-of-area emergency contact is
• How you will communicate if cellular service is disrupted
• Who will pick up children or assist older family members
• What you will do with pets and larger animals

Write the plan down and make sure everyone knows it.

4. Build or Update Your Emergency Go-Bag

Don’t wait until an evacuation warning to begin gathering supplies.

Consider including:

• Water
• Nonperishable food
• Flashlight
• Batteries
• Phone chargers and portable power banks
• First-aid supplies
• Copies of important documents
• Necessary medications
• Personal hygiene supplies
• Warm clothing
• Rain protection
• Supplies for infants, older adults, or people with disabilities
• Pet food and pet supplies

Keep your go-bag somewhere you can reach quickly.

5. Prepare for Power Outages

Severe storms and high winds can interrupt electrical service.

Charge portable battery banks before storms arrive and keep flashlights accessible. If someone in your household relies on electricity-dependent medical equipment, develop a backup power and evacuation plan before an outage occurs.

Never use generators, grills, or other fuel-burning equipment inside your home, garage, or other enclosed spaces.

6. Prepare Your Home Before the Rain

Small actions now can prevent larger problems later.

Clear leaves and debris from gutters and drains. Check your roof for leaks. Secure outdoor furniture and other items that could move during high winds. Know where your property’s drainage areas are and keep them clear.

If sandbags are appropriate for your property, learn where your local community distributes them before a storm is approaching.

7. Think About Transportation

Flooding, fallen trees, rockslides, and debris can close roads quickly.

Identify alternate routes between your home, workplace, children’s schools, medical providers, and other important locations.

And remember one of the most important flood safety rules:

Never drive through floodwater.

Water may be deeper or moving faster than it appears, and the roadway underneath may be damaged or completely washed away.

Turn around. Don’t drown.

8. Check on Your Neighbors

Preparedness is not only an individual responsibility. It is something we do together.

Check on older adults, neighbors who live alone, people with disabilities, families without reliable transportation, and community members who may experience language barriers.

Ask a simple question:

“If we had to evacuate tonight, would you have what you need?”

Sometimes preparedness begins with one conversation.

9. Pay Attention to the Forecast—Not the Rumors

El Niño will likely generate a lot of headlines and social media posts over the coming months.

Not every storm will become a major emergency, and long-range forecasts cannot tell us exactly what will happen in an individual neighborhood.

Use trusted information from the National Weather Service, NOAA, Cal OES, and your local emergency officials.

As storms approach, forecasts become much more specific and useful for making decisions.

10. Prepare Before Everyone Else Is Preparing

One of the biggest lessons we have learned from disasters is that waiting until the last minute makes everything harder.

Stores become crowded. Supplies disappear. Roads become congested. Emergency systems become busy.

Preparedness gives you options.

Use the time we have now.

A Special Consideration for Our North Coast Communities

For communities throughout Sonoma, Humboldt, and Del Norte counties, preparedness should account for our geography.

Heavy rain can affect rural roads, highways, creeks, rivers, hillsides, and coastal areas. A road closure that may be inconvenient in an urban area can isolate an entire rural community.

Coastal communities should also pay attention to high surf and coastal flooding. El Niño can contribute to elevated sea levels along the West Coast, which means high tides and strong surf may reach farther inland than they normally would.

This makes planning ahead especially important.

Know more than one route. Keep your vehicle fueled or charged. Keep emergency supplies at home and in your vehicle. And pay close attention to local conditions.

Preparedness Is Something We Build Together

At Nuestra Comunidad, our goal is not to create fear around El Niño.

Our goal is to make sure our communities have accurate information and know what they can do with it.

We cannot control the weather.

But we can control how prepared we are when severe weather arrives.

We can sign up for alerts.

We can make a plan.

We can prepare our homes.

We can build our emergency kits.

We can check on our neighbors.

We can learn our evacuation routes.

And we can make sure the people around us have access to information they understand and trust.

That is what community resilience looks like.

Over the coming months, Nuestra Comunidad will continue sharing reliable information and practical preparedness resources as conditions develop.

Don’t wait for the storm to start preparing for the storm.

Start Today: Your 5-Step El Niño Checklist

• ☐ Sign up for local emergency alerts
• ☐ Know your flood and evacuation risks
• ☐ Make or review your family emergency plan
• ☐ Build or update your emergency go-bag
• ☐ Check on a neighbor, friend, or family member who may need additional support

Together, we build resilient communities.

— Nuestra Comunidad (NC707)

Information for this article was informed by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Governor Newsom proclaims State of Emergency to bolster statewide El Niño preparedness), the National Weather Service (El Niño and La Niña Information), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) (El Niño and high tide flooding, a possible double whammy for some coastal communities in 2026). Weather and El Niño outlooks can change; residents should continue following current information from official local, state, and federal sources.