Governor Gavin Newsom is mobilizing California's emergency resources in advance of a potentially severe winter storm season driven by an unusual El Niño weather pattern, state officials announced.
Responding to an emergency proclamation issued on September 21, state agencies are staging flood-fighting supplies, inspecting levees and water infrastructure, helping coastal communities prepare for flooding and erosion, and positioning resources to capture stormwater, the state said.
The Department of Water Resources has stockpiled flood-fighting materials at 68 locations statewide, including 4.4 million sandbags, over 52,000 feet of portable flood barriers called "Muscle Wall," and 400,000 tons of rock for emergency levee repairs. State crews are inspecting all 1,600 miles of levees under the State Plan of Flood Control and other flood control structures across the state. Since 2019, the State Water Board has provided more than $329 million for stormwater projects that capture more than 48,000 acre-feet of water per year, reducing local flood risk and building groundwater supplies.
Recent completed projects include the Lookout Slough Project in Solano County, which added more than 40,000 acre-feet of flood storage capacity, and the Tahoe Valley Stormwater and Greenbelt Improvement Project in South Lake Tahoe, completed in September 2026, which created a 320-acre greenbelt to improve stormwater management.
The state is also working to protect coastal communities. The California Coastal Commission has been directed to expedite review of projects protecting people and property from erosion and flooding. California State Parks is repairing damage at Carlsbad State Beach and awarded a $2.125 million contract to repair and strengthen Malibu Pier. Governor Newsom announced new rescue vehicles, boats, and equipment for 13 local fire departments responding to water emergencies.