San Francisco Declares Local Emergency in Preparation for Historic El Niño – KQED

San Francisco Declares Local Emergency in Preparation for Historic El Niño  KQED

Other Bay Area cities — and the state of California — have already begun preparing for rising seas and flooding thanks to the strengthening weather pattern. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie declared a local emergency on Friday, as flooding and rains from what could be a historic El Niño make their way to the Bay Area. The declaration, announced during a press conference and with the backing of local emergency personnel, allows the city to access El Niño preparation services faster and lets Lurie reallocate funds between and within departments for the emergency. Federal and independent forecasters have long warned of stronger storms and more flooding due to the weather event.

The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center said there’s an 83% chance of a record-breaking El Niño through the end of the year. A report from UC Davis released this week also said low-lying areas throughout the Bay Area, including the runways at San Francisco International Airport and the Oakland airport, Highway 37 and the eastern approach of the Bay Bridge, are extremely vulnerable to floods and failure this winter. “Getting these resources ahead of severe weather will help our city protect facilities and respond quickly when impacts do occur,” Lurie said at a press conference. “We are preparing to keep essential services running during storms.” The declaration simplifies