Wednesday, December 15, 2021
California declared a statewide emergency ahead of a forecast record El Nino, urging households to prepare now for a winter of floods, mudslides, and storms.
California is bracing for a wet and dangerous winter. On Monday, September 21, 2026, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a statewide state of emergency ahead of a developing El Nino that forecasters expect to rank among the strongest on record. The proclamation, coordinated by the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, points to conditions of extreme peril from anticipated flooding, mudslides, coastal erosion, and relentless winter storms.
The move is unusually early. Past El Nino emergencies came in 1983 and 1998, and both landed after the rains began; this one arrives before the first big storm. As of the declaration the El Nino is still developing and its final strength is a forecast rather than a measured fact, but the pattern reliably loads the West Coast with atmospheric rivers that stall over the state and drop weeks of rain in days. The earlier a household reads the signal, the more it can do about it.
For preppers the takeaway is not fear but lead time. If you live anywhere water can reach you, this is the season to work through flood readiness and to check whether you sit among the cities most at risk of floods. Saturated hillsides and recent burn scars add a second hazard, so mudslide preparation belongs on the same list for anyone living below a slope.
A few steps pay off before the clouds build. Flood insurance is the big one: standard homeowner policies exclude flooding, and a new National Flood Insurance Program policy takes about 30 days to take effect, so buying it the week of a storm is buying it too late. Stage sandbags and clear your drains while the ground is dry, move documents and valuables up off the floor, and settle a family meeting spot in case roads flood and everyone is scattered.
Where it stands now, the emergency frees state resources to pre-position crews and equipment before winter, and Cal OES is coordinating with local partners. Nothing has flooded yet, and that is the point: the window to get ready is open. Take an afternoon this week to walk your own risk, top off your water and backup power, and decide your routes before a warning ever scrolls across your phone.
