County readies for El Niño storms amid strained reserves and FEMA uncertainty

Public Works, Flood Control, Fire and the Office of Emergency Management briefed the Board on winter preparations and El Niño outlook on Sept. 1, stressing readiness while noting resource constraints.

Flood‑control and weather briefings summarized National Weather Service projections showing an elevated chance of above‑average rainfall in fall and winter and staff cautioned that El Niño is a probabilistic forecast: "This is the time to prepare for winter, it is not the time to panic," one presenter told the board.

County preparedness measures described included annual maintenance of engineered infrastructure, vegetation and debris removal in creeks, staging equipment near vulnerable roads, sandbag stations, levee patrols, reservoir coordination, and outreach through ReadySBC alerts and Genesys zone messaging. Fire and OEM officials described swift‑water rescue teams, hoist‑capable helicopters and pre‑positioning agreements with Cal OES when trigger points are met.

Staff warned that post‑2023 storms the county had incurred roughly $60 million in disaster costs and had received only about $4 million in FEMA reimbursements to date. The county also reported $8 million in storm response and repair costs in 2026 that were not part of a federal disaster declaration. Officials said reserves are tighter and warned the board that if multiple storms strike, the county may need to prioritize response and recovery projects given limited local funding and uncertain federal support.

Why it matters: The briefing highlighted the county’s operational plans and the financial risk created by reimbursement delays; officials urged residents to register for alert systems and prepare for potential evacuations and closures.

The board received the report and approved staff’s recommended preparedness actions without objection.