San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria proclaimed a local emergency on Friday, as the city prepares for a winter forecasters say could bring one of the most powerful El Niño seasons on record. City officials are preparing for heavier rainfall, flooding, powerful surf, beach erosion, mudslides, extreme heat and power outages.
Gloria announced the proclamation in a statement shared on social media, saying the city is preparing for a range of hazardous conditions tied to the coming season, according to a post from San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria
. The city is also preparing for a range of potential impacts from the coming season.
A Season Climate Scientists Call Potentially Record-Breaking
The local declaration comes just over a week after Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a statewide state of emergency on September 21, a move that prompted Gloria to issue a supportive city statement before following with San Diego's own formal emergency declaration, according to CBS 8. The sense of urgency is rooted in hard numbers: the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration projected in September a 75% probability that the 2026-2027 El Niño will become the strongest on record dating back to 1950, with tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures running 3.05°C above baseline, as Hoodline previously reported.
The city is offering up to 10 empty sandbags per household or business at 11 designated recreation centers spread across council districts, though residents must purchase sand separately, per the City of San Diego.
Memories Of The 2024 Deluge Still Shape Policy
The scale of the city's preparation traces directly back to January 22, 2024, when a so-called 1,000-year rainstorm dumped 2.73 inches of rain on San Diego in 24 hours — its fourth-wettest calendar day on record. That storm required more than 200 water rescues and damaged 4,856 structures across the county, according to the Los Angeles Times.
That storm also triggered lasting legal fallout. In May 2024, more than 200 flood victims affected by Chollas Creek flooding filed a $100 million lawsuit against the City of San Diego, alleging officials failed to maintain stormwater channels despite years of known drainage deficiencies, according to KPBS. Hoodline has previously covered the human toll of San Diego flooding, including a shelter evacuation in Barrio Logan earlier this year.
The city continues to face a long-term stormwater infrastructure deficit that keeps low-lying neighborhoods exposed to future storms.
Friday's emergency proclamation comes as San Diego prepares for winter atmospheric rivers. San Diego County has also issued its own emergency proclamation, which Hoodline covered this week. With forecasters warning of a potentially historic season, city officials are positioning the working group's months of planning as the first line of defense for neighborhoods still recovering from the last major flood.
