Make ready for El Nino weather, Newsom orders California

California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a statewide emergency for a powerful El Niño expected to strengthen heading into winter. Newsom said the state was preparing early to keep Californians safe when severe weather comes.

What does the order say? The order called on the Department of Water Resources to prepare flood-response supplies, including sandbags and pumps. Meanwhile, Caltrans was tasked with getting traffic-control and snow-removal equipment ready for highways. The order also sped up processes for permits and contracts for storm-protection projects as forecasters monitor an unusually strong El Niño developing in the Pacific. The California National Guard could help with emergency response efforts.

What is an El Niño? The natural climate pattern is marked by warmer-than-average ocean temperatures in the tropical eastern Pacific, which can shift weather patterns and bring wetter, more intense winters to California. There have been about 30 El Niños recorded in California since 1950, with about five classified as strong or ‘super.’ They often result in several rounds of heavy rain, strong winds, mountain snow, flooding, landslides, and coastal flooding. For families, that can mean roads closed by flooding or rockslides, power outages, and damage to homes and businesses.

Newsom’s team blamed climate change for supercharging this climate pattern, but many other professionals have disagreed. The debate among scientists is ongoing, the New York Times reported earlier this summer.