Santa Monica Has Declared Local Emergency For El Niño

SANTA MONICA — The City of Santa Monica has issued a local emergency in preparation for the current weather indications of a “Super El Niño.” On Tuesday, October 27th, the Santa Monica City Council adopted a resolution proclaiming a local emergency in a 6-0 vote for the 2026-2027 winter season.

The resolution was passed to enable the City of Santa Monica to deploy safety equipment, supplies, and emergency services promptly to prepare for the possible impacts of the El Niño. Mayor Caroline addressed the resolution in the official press release on Oct. 30. “While we can’t know exactly what this winter will bring, we can take steps now to prepare for the potential impacts of El Niño and help keep our community safe,” Caroline said.

The “Super El Niño” is predicted to peak in late December. If the storm causes immense damage to the community, the city intends to return to another council meeting with a new proclamation.

Santa Monica Daily Press reported Fire Chief Matthew Hallock’s comments during the city council meeting. “We’re going through preparedness efforts. We have a lot of discussions already with things we’re doing at the beach, clearing with public works, with housing, making sure our vulnerable population is going to be taken care of. Community groups, we’re doing outreach through all of our community groups. You know, we know what’s coming, but at the same time, it’s a forecast, and as they say, if it’s predictable, it’s preventable. So we’re doing our best to make sure that we’re prepared,” Hallock said.

During the meeting, Chief Hallock also mentioned “Sandbag Saturdays” on November 7th, 14th, and 21st from 9 a.m. until noon at Clover Park, where a fire engine company will help residents fill sandbags. The City of Santa Monica’s declaration followed the Sept. 21 state of emergency proclamation issued by Gavin Newsom to raise awareness of and protect against El Niño.  For more information, residents can sign up for the city’s multilingual SMAlerts system for weather warnings and learn more at santamonica.gov.