California declares statewide emergency ahead of projected epic El Niño storms

Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a statewide emergency for California in anticipation of El Niño-charged storms this fall and winter, the latest sign of growing concern about the chance for more flooding, coastal erosion and strong waves in the coming months.

The intensifying El Niño climate pattern is likely to fuel several strong storms that could hit California with heavy rainfall, strong winds, mountain snow and high waves, causing flooding, landslides, debris flows, coastal damage and power outages, the governor’s office warned Monday. The emergency declaration will help coordinate and mobilize supplies and work across the state, including flood mitigation and shoreline protection.

The possibility of this extreme weather “warrants early, coordinated, and targeted preparedness actions to protect Californians, critical infrastructure, agricultural lands, natural resources, and the State’s economy,” the state’s emergency proclamation reads.

“California is strongest when we look out for one another,” Newsom said in a prepared statement announcing the emergency declaration. “We are preparing for this El Niño early because every Californian deserves to be safe in their home, connected to their community, and protected when severe weather comes.”

Forecasts show there’s a 75% chance this El Niño will be stronger than any other since 1950, and already the event has intensified storms that earlier this month caused serious damage in Southern California.

Although El Niño doesn’t always result in active winters, experts say the pattern is a strong indicator that the West Coast will experience exceptionally wet and potentially dangerous storms — and new research has suggested that human-caused climate change may be making El Niño seasons even more extreme.

“We are so grateful that the governor is being proactive in helping us prepare for El Niño,” said Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley, who had been calling for an emergency declaration for her county since storms eroded beaches and damaged dozens of homes there this month.

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Foley said the county is proceeding as though it’s “99.99% guaranteed” it will get torrential rainstorms and a Kelvin wave — a phenomenon that can elevate sea levels for months at a time, especially during a strong El Niño.

After declaring a local emergency last week, Orange County officials also moved to expedite a project to move 200,000 cubic yards of sand from the mouth of the Santa Ana River to the Newport Beach shoreline, where severe coastal erosion has been exposing dangerous, historic structures. Laguna Beach and Dana Point also declared local states of emergency after experiencing serious damage from recent storms.

The statewide emergency will allow for more accelerated permitting through the California Coastal Commission and prioritized support from the California Department of Transportation for more needed projects, Foley said.

“That is a dramatic change that will allow us to expedite getting the sands out there before the rains hit — and we know it’s coming,” she said. “The more we can do to prepare, the less impactful these anticipated storm systems will be on our community.”

Along with the statewide proclamation, the governor proclaimed emergencies in Santa Barbara, Kern, Humboldt, Mendocino and Glenn counties tied to recent storm effects. Elsewhere in the Southland, a giant sinkhole appeared in front of Nicolas Cage’s house in Malibu, prompting a local emergency and evacuations, and in Long Beach, waves smashed through a key seawall, causing flooding and significant damage to private and public property.

“We’re expecting this to be one of the worst seasons that we’ve seen in recent memory,” particularly when it comes to storm surge and heavy rainfall, said Long Beach City Manager Tom Modica. On Monday, he added the city to the growing list of local jurisdictions under states of emergency after the storm damage from earlier this month.

“The city of Long Beach is particularly vulnerable to coastal and storm-related hazards ... and it is expected that the El Niño season may [bring] storm conditions similar to, or more severe than, those experienced over the 2026 Labor Day weekend,” the declaration read.

Although Long Beach has continued to work on repairs and mitigation after waves destroyed sections of the seawall and a historic boardwalk on its peninsula, and damaged several homes, he said the state’s support on these issues will ensure preparations move quickly.

“Having the state already positioning themselves is going to be helpful,” Modica said. Long Beach is finalizing an analysis of how to best prepare for this winter, but he said a major focus will be its Alamitos Bay dredging project to move more sand in front of the vulnerable Long Beach peninsula.

“We’re looking at how we can accelerate that,” Modica said, calling it a “huge priority.”

Carlsbad last week also declared a local state of emergency, hoping to limit coastal erosion that continues to threaten Carlsbad Boulevard, also known as Old Highway 101.

The storms could also threaten transportation infrastructure along the coast. Earlier this month, high surf closed a long-vulnerable stretch of coastal railway in San Clemente. Foley hopes that Sacramento support can help shore up the bluffs on which that key transportation line sits.

“I feel like we’ve finally made some progress to break through the logjam,” Foley said. “I am concerned, but ... many of our cities, especially our coastal cities, are helping educate the communities. ... We all have our duties and obligations to help prepare.”

Times staff writer Rong-Gong Lin II and deputy editor Joseph Serna contributed to this report.