Beverly Hills preps as Newsom declares El Niño emergency

Beverly Hills is stepping up storm-drain inspections and emergency planning as Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a statewide emergency Monday, Sept. 21, ahead of what forecasters call a potentially record-breaking El Niño winter.

The declaration directs state agencies to stage emergency supplies, prepare roads and critical infrastructure, and help local governments reduce flood, landslide and coastal risks, the Los Angeles Times reported. Canyon residents in Beverly Hills, Bel Air and Holmby Hills faced a similar threat Feb. 17, when the Los Angeles Fire Department issued an evacuation warning for possible debris flows near the Sunset Fire during a severe storm.

"… Giving communities the support they need, giving first responders the tools to do their jobs, and giving families the confidence that their state is ready," Newsom said in a prepared statement.

Record ocean temperatures

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) declared El Niño conditions on June 11. The event has strengthened rapidly since. NOAA's Climate Prediction Center placed a 98% chance on a "very strong" El Niño through December 2026 and a 75% chance it will surpass every El Niño since 1950.

Ocean temperatures in the key Niño 3.4 monitoring region reached 3.05 degrees Celsius above average, Maven's Notebook reported. That is the highest sea-surface temperature anomaly on record, surpassing the 1997 and 1982 El Niño events.

Damage has already begun along the Southern California coast. Homes from south Orange County to Malibu have been flooded. Erosion has eaten away beaches from Carlsbad to Long Beach. Laguna Beach, Dana Point and Carlsbad declared local emergencies after Hurricane Marie drove a south swell that stripped sand from their shorelines.

What Beverly Hills is doing

The Beverly Hills Fire Department is coordinating citywide preparedness, reviewing emergency procedures, monitoring hazards and coordinating with regional partners, according to the city's El Niño preparedness page. The Public Works Department is inspecting storm drains, drainage systems and pumps, and reviewing areas vulnerable to flooding.

The city posted an El Niño readiness alert Friday, Sept. 18, warning residents to anticipate heavy rain, flooding and power outages this winter.

A "coastally trapped Kelvin wave" is moving up the coast of Mexico and will soon reach the U.S. West Coast, the Los Angeles Times reported. No specific storm arrival date has been announced.