California Cities Prep Drains and Sandbags for El Niño

Communities across California are urging residents to prepare for a potentially wet El Niño winter, while emphasizing that the climate pattern does not guarantee severe rain. Cities and counties are inspecting and clearing drains, roads and culverts, positioning emergency resources, and—in Riverside—renting heavy-duty pumps to help manage possible flooding. Residents are encouraged to clear gutters and drainage areas, assemble emergency supplies and family plans, learn evacuation information, sign up for alerts, and prepare for possible outages and travel disruptions. Pleasanton, Alameda and La Mesa are also making sandbags available to residents, with local limits and pickup arrangements varying by city.