Overview
- Federal forecasters have raised the odds of a strong El Niño that would tilt seasonal rain chances higher for Southern California, with peak impacts most likely from October through winter.
- County leaders briefed supervisors Tuesday and the Office of Emergency Management has scheduled a countywide practice El Niño response exercise for Sept. 13 to identify response gaps.
- L.A. County Public Works is inspecting and clearing storm drains, debris basins and other flood infrastructure with a goal to finish major work by Oct. 15.
- Officials are prioritizing high-risk areas such as recent burn scars (Eaton and Palisades), low-lying coastal corridors and temporary shelters for unhoused people in flood-prone locations.
- Residents are urged to prepare now by assembling 72-hour kits, clearing gutters, checking trees and vehicles, signing up for alerts, and considering separate flood insurance while agencies watch a Pacific storm that could affect the Labor Day weekend.