San Jose officials are actively preparing for what is anticipated to be a significant winter storm season, potentially influenced by El Niño. The city is coordinating planning, training, and flood mitigation efforts, with its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) playing a central role in these preparations.
The state of California's emergency declaration, issued in anticipation of an El Niño event, enables local governments like San Jose to continue their readiness measures for potentially impactful storms. The city's EOC, which moved to a new 11,000-square-foot facility in 2024, is designed to enhance emergency response coordination. This facility centralizes operations, logistics, recovery, and planning functions for various emergencies.
Director of Emergency Management Ray Riordan noted that the new EOC location will improve coordination across the city and county compared to previous winter storm seasons. He explained that having all information gathered in one place helps officials understand conditions, plan responses, and deploy necessary resources efficiently to the right areas. With a high likelihood of a record-breaking winter due to El Niño, this improved coordination is considered crucial.
City officials stressed that storm readiness begins well before severe weather arrives. San Jose and its partner agencies, including Valley Water, have conducted a series of exercises and training sessions. These preparations are specifically designed to ready personnel and systems for potential storm scenarios.
Mayor Matt Mahan emphasized the proactive nature of these efforts, stating that while the exact amount of rain is unknown, the optimal time to prepare is in the days leading up to storms, not once they begin. This includes taking advantage of clear weather to finalize preparations.
On-the-ground efforts are also in progress. Crews are working along the city's rivers, streams, and storm drains. Their objective is to reduce flooding risks before the storms hit by ensuring these water channels are clear and functional. The city’s Department of Transportation is specifically focusing on removing debris from high-risk areas, which helps maintain the flow of water through drainage systems during heavy rainfall.
Assistant City Manager Lee Wilcox highlighted the importance of this preventative work, particularly in anticipation of atmospheric rivers that could bring significant rainfall over several days. Wilcox noted the focus this year on the planning and prevention aspects related to the storm drain system, aiming to get ahead of the peak storm period.
While officials acknowledge that it is impossible to eliminate all flooding, they maintain that reducing risk remains a top priority. Mayor Mahan stated that the city aims to be transparent about all efforts being made to mitigate and reduce risk in identified high-risk areas. He also mentioned that more detailed communications on these efforts would be shared in the coming weeks.
City leaders underscored the essential role residents play in preparing for severe weather. To support community readiness, San Jose plans to host an El Niño preparedness workshop via Zoom on October 21. This workshop is designed to answer resident questions and provide information on how to prepare for the upcoming storm season. Additional information is available on the city's website.
