TL;DR: Salinas declared a local state of emergency on Sept. 29, 2026, to speed flood work and funding ahead of a forecast very strong El Niño.

Council votes unanimously on Sept. 29

The Salinas City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday, Sept. 29, to declare a local state of emergency as the city prepares for a potentially severe El Niño winter, according to the Monterey Tribune.

Mayor Dennis Donohue announced the declaration at a press conference early Tuesday, joined by City Manager Rene Mendez and Fire Chief Sam Klemek, before the council approved it at its Tuesday meeting, according to the Monterey Tribune.

Donohue said, "We are taking the threat of El Niño seriously, and we are acting now to protect our community," according to the Monterey Tribune.

Officials framed the move as a planning tool rather than a sign of imminent danger, according to the Monterey Tribune.

The City Council was scheduled to receive a report on the anticipated winter storm season and the city's preparations, and to consider approving a proclamation establishing the threatened existence of a local emergency, according to KSBW.

Mayor Donohue stressed that the move is intended to help the city prepare and not alarm residents, according to Monterey County Now.

"This is about preparedness, not panic," Donohue said, according to Monterey County Now.

City leaders are taking early action to prepare for a potentially wet El Niño winter, focusing on infrastructure, emergency response, and urging residents to get ready, according to KSBW.

Salinas city leaders are ramping up preparations for a potentially wet El Niño winter by reviewing emergency plans, inspecting infrastructure, and encouraging residents to prepare early, according to KSBW.

Why the forecast triggered action

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration puts the chance of a "very strong" El Niño this fall and winter at 90 percent, according to the Monterey Tribune.

Forecasters say it could be stronger than any El Niño since 1950, according to the Monterey Tribune.

NOAA forecasts a greater than 90% chance of a very strong El Niño this fall and winter, with a 69% chance it will reach historic strength during the October-December period, according to KSBW.

Officials said the anticipated El Niño storms could bring heavy rain, flooding, power outages and road closures, according to Monterey County Now.

Officials are expected to discuss potential threats to the city and steps being taken to protect residents, neighborhoods, critical infrastructure and property, according to KSBW.

City officials said the declaration is intended to strengthen Salinas' ability to coordinate resources, respond quickly to changing conditions and prepare for potential impacts from significant rainfall and severe weather, according to KSBW.

The city's priorities for the anticipated El Niño include drainage and infrastructure, roads, evacuations and shelters, Emergency Operations Center and staffing, and public information, according to KSBW.

What the emergency declaration unlocks

The declaration gives the city legal authority to mobilize resources and streamline decision-making, and it is the first step toward accessing state and federal assistance if a crisis hits, according to the Monterey Tribune.

Fire Chief Sam Klemek told the council the declarations will let crews accelerate flood-prevention work, including clearing creeks and waterways that normally require permits and regulatory approvals, according to the Monterey Tribune.

"The declarations give the city manager more latitude to expend funds and be more nimble to get the work done," Klemek said, according to the Monterey Tribune.

The council's unanimous vote gives the city manager broader spending power and unlocks faster creek-clearing work, according to the Monterey Tribune.

City officials said priorities include inspecting priority systems and confirming that pumps, generators, barricades, fuel and backup power are ready, according to KSBW.

City officials said priorities include planning road closures, detours, emergency access, transportation assistance, shelter operations and reentry, according to KSBW.

City officials said priorities include setting readiness triggers and confirming staff assignments, duty coverage, mutual aid and purchasing authority, according to KSBW.

City officials said priorities include preparing English- and Spanish-language messages and coordinating distribution through trusted community partners, according to KSBW.

Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a statewide emergency on Sept. 21 over the developing El Niño, according to the Monterey Tribune.

San Benito County has issued its own local declaration, according to the Monterey Tribune.

The San Benito County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 22 declared a local state of emergency following Gov. Gavin Newsom's statewide emergency declaration, according to SanBenito.com.

Supervisors unanimously approved the declaration — the first in any California county since Newsom initially declared a statewide emergency, according to SanBenito.com.

Crews inspect creeks, drains and trees

City crews are already conducting seasonal inspections of creeks, rivers, drainage systems, and storm infrastructure, according to the Monterey Tribune.

Drones are being used to survey vegetation along the waterways, Klemek said, according to the Monterey Tribune.

City buildings and parks are being assessed for structural stability and hazardous trees, according to the Monterey Tribune.

Officials say they are taking proactive steps this year, with crews already inspecting trees, creeks, and other parts of the city's infrastructure to identify and address potential problems before winter storms arrive, according to KSBW.

City crews are also reviewing and clearing drainage systems, creeks, and storm systems to ensure they are free of obstructions, according to KSBW.

"We review all of our infrastructure; we survey all of our infrastructure, sending crew into our drainages, into the creeks, into the storm system, making sure they're clear, not obstructed, clearing vegetation, making sure our evacuation plans, our roadways, we have plans in place," Klemek said, according to KSBW.

Public works crews are surveying creeks, rivers, drainage systems and other infrastructure, Mendez said, according to Monterey County Now.

Drones are being used to inspect floodways, according to Monterey County Now.

Mendez said every city department is reviewing emergency plans and communication procedures, and that "preparedness requires coordination," according to the Monterey Tribune.

City Manager René Mendez said city departments are working together to identify vulnerabilities, review emergency plans and establish communication procedures, according to Monterey County Now.

"Preparedness requires coordination," he said, according to Monterey County Now.

Barricades, sandbags and shelter sites staged

In addition to inspection efforts, the city is staging barricades, stockpiling sandbags, and preparing public facilities to serve as temporary evacuation centers if needed, according to KSBW.

City facilities are being prepared as potential evacuation points and regional shelters, according to Monterey County Now.

City facilities are being prepared as potential evacuation points and regional shelters, according to the Monterey Tribune.

The city is also working with Monterey County, state and federal agencies, schools, hospitals, nonprofits, and community organizations, according to the Monterey Tribune.

The city is also working with county, state and federal agencies, as well as nonprofits, schools, hospitals and community organizations, according to Monterey County Now.

The city also plans to coordinate emergency information with the county and work with school districts and community groups to reach families and residents who may be harder to contact, according to Monterey County Now.

Mendez also discussed plans to protect essential services, according to Monterey County Now.

The city has arranged to divert wastewater to Monterey One Water if flooding threatens its industrial wastewater treatment facility, according to the Monterey Tribune.

The city has worked on contingency plans for diverting wastewater to Monterey One Water if the industrial wastewater treatment facility is threatened, according to Monterey County Now.

Outreach to vulnerable neighborhoods

The city's SORT Team is reaching out to unhoused residents to connect them with shelter, according to the Monterey Tribune.

Outreach is beginning with unhoused residents to help connect them with shelter before severe weather arrives, according to Monterey County Now.

Outreach is underway with families and non-English speakers, including speakers of Indigenous languages, according to the Monterey Tribune.

Officials said the flood-prone Bolsa Knolls area sits in county jurisdiction, but the city will assist through mutual aid, including evacuations and protection of life and property if needed, according to the Monterey Tribune.

Leaders are urging residents to take action now to prepare their homes and properties, according to KSBW.

What households were told to do now

Donohue urged households to clear gutters and drains, check roofs for leaks, secure outdoor items, and assemble essentials such as flashlights, batteries, medications, food, and water, according to the Monterey Tribune.

He urged households to clear gutters and drains, check roofs for leaks, secure outdoor items and gather essentials such as flashlights, batteries, medications, food and water, according to Monterey County Now.

Plus he suggested residents should also know how to receive official emergency information and check on neighbors who may need extra help, according to Monterey County Now.

"Look at your insurance policy, look at the vulnerabilities in your home right now or your property right now. What can you do right now that would save you having to react negatively in an event," Klemek said, according to KSBW.

City leaders are also encouraging residents to sign up for emergency alerts and to rely on official city and county sources for information, rather than unverified reports on social media, according to KSBW.

For more information visit Salinas.gov/News/Storm-Prep-Home, according to Monterey County Now.

Lessons from the 2022-23 atmospheric rivers

Officials said lessons from the atmospheric river storms of winter 2022-23 shaped the city's coordinated preparedness plan, according to the Monterey Tribune.

City Manager Rene Mendez said Californians learned in 2022, noting he was in Watsonville at the time and that preparations did not match the number of atmospheric river storms that arrived at once, according to KSBW.

Klemek said the 2022 event showed that when events are stacked, ground gets saturated and material starts to move quicker, so the third or fourth storm of greater intensity can have bigger impact than the first or second storm, according to KSBW.

San Benito County moves first with funding

The county is taking a proactive, preventative approach to forecasts calling for historically rainy winter months with the possibility of flooding and other damage, according to SanBenito.com.

The statewide and local declarations open the door for property owners and jurisdictions to clear out creeks, culverts, ditches and other infrastructure that impedes the flow of water, without the traditional approval process from California Fish and Wildlife, according to SanBenito.com.

The county said the declaration allows property owners and local jurisdictions to clear flood-prone creeks, ditches and culverts despite environmental restrictions that had limited such work, according to KSBW.

More than $500,000 in emergency reserves has been set aside for cleanup and flood response in San Benito County, according to KSBW.

Initially allocating up to $500,000 in emergency reserves with the potential to allocate more funding if necessary was among the county's initiatives, according to SanBenito.com.

County agencies provided presentations at the Sept. 22 special meeting laying out their initial but aggressive planning for possible storm impacts, including details provided by the Sheriff's Office, Public Works and the Health and Human Services Department, according to SanBenito.com.

Community event planned for mid-October

The city plans a community preparedness event in mid-October to give residents more information and resources, according to the Monterey Tribune.

A community preparedness event is planned for mid-October, according to Mendez, according to Monterey County Now.

"We cannot control the weather, but we can control how we are prepared for it," Donohue said, according to Monterey County Now.

"Our responsibility is not simply to respond to an emergency. Our responsibility is to anticipate it, and that's why we're taking these steps now," Donohue said, according to Monterey County Now.

"I also want our residents to know that preparedness is a partnership. The City will do its part, and we are asking every household in Salinas to do its part as well," Donohue said, according to Monterey County Now.

Sources referenced