Prepare for El Niño

Orange County is currently in the middle of a “super El Niño”. This climate pattern can cause heavy rainfall, which could result in flooding, erosion, and property damage in OC without proper preparation. However, just because El Niño is occurring, that doesn’t mean we are powerless. If we prepare now, we can better protect our community and waterways.

Let’s talk about El Niño and what you can do to make an impact.

What is El Niño?

While El Niño literally translates to “the boy” in Spanish, it is also a climate pattern we all need to take seriously.

El Niño is a naturally occurring climate pattern in which surface waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean stay warmer than usual for several months. It develops alongside changes in the atmosphere, including weakening trade winds that allow warm water to move eastward. Together, these changes can shift the Pacific jet stream and influence weather around the world.

For Orange County, El Niño can increase the likelihood of a wetter winter, although it doesn’t guarantee more rain. Understanding this connection can help us prepare for rainy weather and take simple steps to keep pollutants out of our storm drains and waterways.

Effects of El Niño

We’re thrilled with the impact our campus has had on local waterways and water resources. Not only are our water resources more Even though El Niño occurs in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, it can still impact weather in Orange County.

These higher water temperatures can cause winds (which normally blow from east to west along the equator) to weaken or, in some cases, start blowing in the other direction (from west to east). This can lead to stronger storms, more rain, and higher waves. Additionally, these may cause increased flooding as well as erosion in coastal communities and affect infrastructure like homes and roads.

Erosion occurs when increased rainfall or waves displace soil or sediment. It can clog critical infrastructure such as storm drains, reducing their flood conveyance capacity or causing damage leading to expensive repairs. Erosion can also cause pollutants like excess nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen) to flow untreated into local waterways and disrupt habitats. Even though soil and nutrients aren’t inherently bad, them showing up in places they shouldn’t is what makes erosion harmful.

Now let’s talk about what you can do to protect your property, community, and waterways.

Things You Can Do

You can mitigate the effects of El Niño if you prepare ahead of time. Here are some things you can do today:

• Do a property assessment:
  • Take a look at your gutters and roof to ensure there aren’t any clogs or loose tiles.
  • Conduct a drainage and grading review to ensure your soil and driveways slope away from your foundation.
  • Assess areas on your property that may be vulnerable to flooding, waves, or erosion.

• Utilize erosion control when necessary:
  • Identify unstable or exposed soil and cover it.Reinforce retaining walls prone to mudslides or structural shifting during rain.Stack sandbags to direct water from weak slopes or low-lying foundations.

• Install a rain barrel or cistern.
  • Depending on where you live, there may be rebates available to get a rain barrel or cistern. Go to https://h2oc.org/rainsmart/residential-rainwater-collection-incentives-program/ to learn more and see if you’re eligible.
• Reschedule major exterior home improvement or landscape projects.
  • Having sizable storms during these projects could create issues and extra costs.
  • Ensure that any materials stored outside are properly covered and contained

Our community takes pride in keeping our communities and waterways safe and healthy. While El Niño can be unpredictable, proper preparation can make it more manageable. Our waterways and neighbors are counting on you to do your part to lessen the blow of this year’s El Niño. By taking action today, you can prevent problems tomorrow.

Thank you for being watershed protectors, OC!