San Diego County presented an update to the Board of Supervisors on Oct. 6 about preparations for a potentially historic El Niño; the county said the briefing followed its emergency proclamation and the launch of an El Niño 2026 Information Hub.

County leaders reported updates to the Emergency Operations Plan that add expanded multilingual alerts, clearer multi-agency procedures for mass care and evacuation, and new roles including an Early Recovery Coordinator and a Community Liaison Officer; the county also cited more than 1,200 trained Disaster Service Workers and earlier, structured recovery planning.

The county said community feedback from surveys, Tribal engagement, CERT volunteers, nonprofits and food‑system partners shaped the updates; that feedback pushed the county to expand nondigital outreach through door‑to‑door visits, libraries, senior centers and food‑distribution events and to produce more multilingual materials.

County sites will provide free sandbags and the county will run pop‑up distribution events during major storms. The county is coordinating with MTS and NCTD to provide transportation for evacuations and sheltering so residents, people with access and functional needs, and pets can get to safety without a car.

Officials outlined actions for the first 24 hours of a major storm. Before a storm, county meteorologists and the Office of Emergency Services monitor forecasts, hold daily coordination calls and preposition first responders and public‑works crews. The county urged residents to register for AlertSanDiego.org, review evacuation routes and assemble “go kits” with medications and supplies.

As a storm arrives, the county said OES will issue protective‑action alerts and post real‑time updates on AlertSanDiego.org; Cal Fire and water‑rescue teams will stage across the county and public works crews will clear inlets, remove hazards and manage road closures. Shelters will open as impact areas are identified, and the American Red Cross and animal‑care partners will provide food, medical support, charging stations and pet care.

In early recovery within the first 24 hours, recovery managers will conduct rapid damage assessments and public works will inspect roads, bridges and culverts in unincorporated areas; the county will announce Local Assistance Center plans and distribute plain recovery guidance. The county encouraged residents to use the El Niño 2026 Information Hub for preparedness tools, sandbag locations and emergency alerts and said a replay of the Board presentation is available on its YouTube channel.

Sources & methodology

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County of San Diego

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