San Diego County is asking residents to prepare now for El Niño heavy rain and wind expected as soon as next month, the county said Sept. 29, 2026.

The county directs residents to its Know Your Hazards tool to enter an address and identify local flood hazards; it also links to a page of known local flood hazards and to an El Niño Hub that assembles emergency alerts, sand and sandbag locations, current weather and preparedness resources in multiple languages.

The county named AlertSanDiego as its official emergency app and advised residents to sign up for alerts; a how-to video is available to walk users through the app.

During an event, residents should check County roads, Caltrans Freeway/Highway Closures & Lane Closures and other transportation updates; county road crews also post updates at Twitter.com/SDcountyDPW.

Households should have an evacuation and family-reconnection plan, account for medications and supplies, make a plan for pets and keep important documents in a safe, accessible place.

County Emergency Services is taking preparedness information into communities and has identified higher-flood-risk areas for focused outreach. Residents may report issues with county roads, culverts or infrastructure through the Tell Us Now app or by calling the 24/7 hotline at 877-684-8000.

These are simple steps, but the county warned the time to take them is before a storm arrives, not when it is happening.

Sources & methodology

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County of San Diego

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