San Jose declares emergency ahead of El Niño

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- The San Jose City Council has officially declared a state of emergency ahead of El Niño, joining other local jurisdictions taking steps to prepare for the potential impacts of the upcoming storm season.

The declaration is intended to help the city activate resources and preparedness efforts before storms arrive.

"It's a matter of getting ahead of the situation, rather than being behind it," said Ray Riordan, director of San Jose's Office of Emergency Management.

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While officials know El Niño is approaching, Riordan said the specific impacts remain uncertain. The city is preparing for a range of possible scenarios by identifying areas of concern and acquiring supplies, equipment and other resources needed to respond to storm-related emergencies.

The emergency declaration approved by the council allows those preparations to move forward.

"We already have response plans for our major departments like D.O.T. and Public Works. So when we see these projections of rains coming, they establish up a level 1, 2 or 3, and depending on that, they have 24 hour staffing on what the needs are," Riordan said.

Riordan discussed the city's preparedness strategy during an El Niño roundtable with CAL FIRE, the Red Cross and PG&E. Participants emphasized the importance of applying lessons learned from previous severe weather events, particularly the 2023 season, which brought a series of atmospheric rivers to California.

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"What we saw, I would say back in '23 for the local area, those with that local knowledge, that history, we know what has the propensity to flood before. We've seen some of the issues that can come from flooding," said Chief Marcus Hernandez of the CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit.

The storms of 2023 also highlighted the importance of advance planning for utilities, according to PG&E. The company has staged crews and resources in preparation for potential weather-related outages.

"I am confident that we have the plans in place and the right people leading our response of us rapidly, safely, effectively restoring service to our communities," said Angie Gibson, PG&E's vice president of emergency preparedness and response.

Officials at the roundtable said community preparedness will also play an important role during the coming storm season. The Red Cross said volunteers will be critical to any El Niño response efforts.