Ahead of El Niño this winter, Governor Newsom prepares California for winter storms and flooding impacts

What you need to know: Governor Newsom is moving early to prepare for a potentially historic winter storm season by pre-positioning millions of sandbags and other emergency supplies throughout the state, inspecting levees and water infrastructure, helping communities prepare to capture stormwater, and more.

SACRAMENTO - Governor Gavin Newsom is taking early action to prepare for a potentially historic winter storm season amid an unprecedented El Niño forecast. Responding to the Governor's emergency proclamation issued on September 21, state agencies are coordinating with local communities, staging flood-fighting supplies, inspecting levees and water infrastructure, helping coastal communities prepare for flooding and erosion, and positioning resources to capture and store stormwaters.

The storm season is already making itself felt. This year, "Kelvin waves" have raised sea levels, and offshore Pacific Hurricanes fueled by warm eastern Pacific water have sent strong waves into the California coast, causing coastal flooding that scientists attribute to El Niño. Recent years have shown how quickly California can swing between severe drought and devastating floods - extremes that climate change is making more pronounced. The state's preparations focus on protecting people, communities, and businesses, while capturing and storing water for future use when conditions allow.

We're taking action now to protect Californians before winter El Niño storms arrive. That means getting flood-fighting supplies into position, bolstering our water infrastructure, and helping communities across the Golden State prepare.

Governor Gavin Newsom

Preparing for floods

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is working with local communities and the Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) to prepare for potential flooding. Preparations include:

• Staging life-saving supplies: DWR has stockpiled flood-fighting materials at 68 locations statewide. These materials include 4.4 million sandbags, over 52,000 feet of "Muscle Wall" - portable flood barriers that crews can quickly deploy to divert water - and 400,000 tons of rock for emergency levee repairs.

• Inspecting and maintaining infrastructure: Crews are also moving swiftly to inspect and prepare California's flood-control infrastructure. Each fall, the state inspects all 1,600 miles of levees under the State Plan of Flood Control and maintains other weirs, bypasses, and flood control structures across the state. The system includes major flood-control infrastructure in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys, extending north to the Oregon border.

• Coordinating with local partners: DWR is working with counties, cities, and other government agencies across California through more than a dozen regional preparedness workshops statewide, with technical assistance, engineering guidance, and emergency response to local partners responsible for levees. Through the Dam Safety Planning Unit, Cal OES reviews and approves dam emergency action plans and supports coordination to protect downstream communities during a dam emergency.

• Preparing dams for potential heavy rain: DWR has notified dam owners statewide to prepare for potential El Niño-related storms. Its Division of Safety of Dams inspects all high- and extremely high-hazard dams annually and evaluates older dams for seismic and flood risks.

• Keeping the State Water Project ready: The system supplies water to 27 million Californians and has performed annual maintenance and inspections to prepare for winter operations.

California Department of Water Resources Utility Crafts workers remove debris near the Colusa Weir near River Road in Colusa County. (September 2026)

Capturing stormwater for dry years

The state is preparing to use this winter's precipitation to replenish groundwater basins. DWR is hosting a Recharge Readiness webinar series with technical guidance to help local agencies and other water users prepare projects that capture stormwater and recharge supplies. In addition, the State Water Board has organized two workshops to help local agencies apply for recharge permits and prepare for flood diversions in late October.

Since 2019, the board has provided more than $329 million for stormwater projects that can capture more than 48,000 acre-feet of water per year. Capturing runoff reduces flood risk for cities and adds to local water supplies. Recent examples:

• Twain Harte (Tuolumne County): A state-funded stormwater-improvement project completed four projects in Tuolumne County in 2024, including a 5,000-gallon rain tank at an elementary school and a rain garden at a community center. Located in the Tuolumne River watershed, the collaborative project replaced outdated storm drains, installed innovative stormwater capture technology, and created bioswales and other permeable surfaces to slow and capture runoff.

• South Lake Tahoe: The State Water Board and City of South Lake Tahoe completed the Tahoe Valley Stormwater and Greenbelt Improvement Project in September 2026, creating a 320-acre greenbelt that improves stormwater management, reduces flood risk, and protects Lake Tahoe's water quality.

• South Gate: The State Water Board and City of South Gate completed the Urban Orchard Project in 2025. Supported in part by an $8 million State Water Board grant, the project diverts millions of gallons of stormwater and urban runoff each year into wetlands and other permeable surfaces, helping recharge groundwater, improve water quality, and create new public green space for the community.

Strengthening flood defenses

Since 2019, Governor Newsom and the Legislature's investments have strengthened flood preparedness and infrastructure, helping communities become more flood-ready. Some key projects include:

• Creating more room for floodwater in the Delta: The completed Lookout Slough Project in Solano County added more than 40,000 acre-feet of flood storage capacity in the Yolo Bypass, helping reduce flood risk for nearby communities. Lookout Slough broke ground in June 2022 and included building over three miles of a 25-foot-tall setback levee, which provides 100-year flood protection with allowances for future sea level rise; excavating 26 miles of open tidal channels; and restoring native habitat through natural revegetation and other strategies.

• Repairing storm-damaged Delta levees: Cal OES approved more than $390,000 in state disaster-assistance reimbursements for emergency repairs to levees along the Cosumnes River near Wilton after the 2022 flood.

Protecting the coast

Governor Newsom's El Niño emergency proclamation is helping state agencies move faster to prepare coastal communities for flooding and erosion by expediting permitting and supporting emergency work.

• Speeding up emergency protection: The California Coastal Commission has been directed by the Governor to expedite review of projects that protect people, property, and essential services from erosion, flooding, and landslides. When immediate action is necessary, the Commission can act on qualifying emergency permit requests within 24 hours.

• Repairing damage at Carlsbad State Beach: California State Parks is working with coastal engineers and the Coastal Commission to protect the shoreline and repair the Tamarack parking lot after summer swells and high tides stripped sand from the beach and damaged the lot. The work aims to protect roadways and other nearby transportation infrastructure from flood risk.

• Strengthening Malibu Pier: State Parks has awarded an emergency contract for a $2.125 million project, funded through the 2024 Climate Bond, to repair damaged pilings and strengthen the pier. The Governor's proclamation helped expedite the contract, supporting repairs needed to protect this highly visited public recreation destination and safely reopen ahead of winter storm season.

• Moving vulnerable infrastructure away from erosion: The State Coastal Conservancy has invested $16.2 million for the second phase of Ventura's Surfers Point to move vulnerable infrastructure inland and restore beach and dune habitat, giving the shoreline more room to move naturally.

• Preparing Bay Area communities for flooding: The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) is working with local flood-control agencies, Bay communities, and individual property owners to permit and advance shoreline protection projects, including levee repairs and the implementation of flood-protection infrastructure designed to reduce winter flooding and prepare for sea-level rise. Examples include the Palo Alto Horizontal Levee Pilot Project, Restore Hayward Marsh Project, and the Interim Highway 37 Flood Protection Project. BCDC is also working to streamline permitting for temporary flood protection measures.

• Long-term coastal resilience: The California Coastal Commission, the Coastal Conservancy, Ocean Protection Council, San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, State Lands Commission, and other state partners are also providing funding, planning assistance, and technical expertise to help communities restore beaches and wetlands, protect public access, prepare for sea level rise, and develop longer-term shoreline adaptation strategies.

Construction underway on the Tisdale Weir Rehabilitation and Fish Passage Project in Sutter County. (October 2026)

California steps up

While President Trump proposes deep cuts that would shift greater costs and responsibilities to states and local governments, California is taking action: strengthening statewide coordination, expanding local partnerships and investing in the personnel and infrastructure needed to protect communities from increasingly severe disasters.

• Advanced forecasting. DWR is working with research partners at the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography to incorporate advanced forecasting tools into planning for this winter.

• Modernized all-hazards command center. Governor Newsom announced the opening of a modernized State Operations Center at Cal OES in Mather to coordinate faster, smarter disaster response. It replaces a facility that had not had a major renovation since it opened in 2000.

• Disaster intelligence satellites. Governor Newsom is adding satellite technology to California's disaster response. Cal OES is expanding its ability to receive near-real-time information on floods and other disasters through an agreement with ICEYE, a satellite-imaging company that helps governments assess disaster damage from space.

• Swiftwater vehicle deployments. Governor Newsom announced new rescue vehicles, boats and equipment for 13 local fire departments. Each team gets new heavy-duty tow vehicles, rescue trailers, two motorized inflatable boats and updated protective gear. The teams respond to water emergencies in their own communities and deploy statewide through the California Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid System when other communities need help.

What is El Niño?

El Niño refers to the periodic warming of sea surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Usually, the tropical western Pacific is warmer than the tropical eastern Pacific. In El Niño, that pattern reverses, and the eastern Pacific warms significantly. This changes circulation and precipitation patterns around the world.

Specific local impacts are unpredictable, but El Niño often brings more frequent and intense storms over California. These storms can produce dangerous flooding, landslides, debris flows, erosion, and other dangerous impacts.

How Californians can prepare

El Niño does not guarantee a wet winter or any particular storm, but it heightens the risk of strong storms in California. Californians should prepare now for the possibility of heavy rain, snow, and flooding:

• Sign up for alerts. Get local emergency alerts here and follow trusted sources.

• Know your flood risk. Find out whether your home or workplace is in a flood-prone area or downslope of an area recently affected by wildfire, where heavy rain can increase the risk of flooding, debris flows, and mudslides.

• Stay informed. Pay attention to weather forecasts and sign up for emergency alerts from your city or county. Conditions can change quickly during major storms, so follow instructions from local emergency officials.

• Have an evacuation plan. Know where you would go and how you would get there if you need to leave quickly. Keep an emergency kit ready, including plans, medications, and supplies for pets and other animals.

• Never drive through floodwater. Water on flooded roads can be deeper and faster-moving than it appears, and roadways may be damaged or washed out beneath the water. Turn around and find another route.

For flood-risk tips by region, a household checklist, and what to do after a storm, see Cal OES's Ready California El Niño preparedness guide.