Southern California official offers tips on how residents can prepare their homes for El Niño impacts
Meteorologists warn that residents in Southern California may need to buckle up this winter as a potentially historic El Niño system could bring wet weather, intense storms and flooding.
Nallely Procopio, Pasadena's Emergency Services manager, said she helps prepare community members for everything from earthquakes and fires to the El Niño storms anticipated this winter.
Procopio said preparedness starts with having an emergency response kit packed; she keeps hers in the trunk of her car.
She keeps a flashlight, extra batteries, a multitool kit, also in there a first aid kit, extra clothes and enough food, water and needed prescriptions for every family member for 72 hours, including for her pets.
Procopio said one of Pasadena's areas of greatest concern is the Eaton Fire burn scar. She told locals flooding risks here will be higher until the charred hillsides have between three and five years to heal.
Tom Zaczyk, a resident in the area, said he is concerned about what precautions are being taken for properties that are under construction after the fires.
"Want to make sure that they're tarping things as the rains are coming, and then just everybody should be looking at sandbags in their area," Procopio said.
Some past El Niño systems have led to prolonged, intense rainfall. She encourages homeowners to walk their property, address areas vulnerable to flooding and clear gutters.
She said if your home doesn't have meshing over the gutter system, you'll want to be more intentional about clearing them out before the rain starts. She also said property owners should assess unhealthy trees that could fall during a storm, sign up for emergency alerts from their city and county and handle needed car maintenance.
"Are your brakes good to go, and your windshield wipers? How long has it been since you changed them?" Procopio said. "It's small actions that really lead to overall preparedness."
Along those lines, she encourages community members to report any new drainage concerns in their neighborhood.
"If you have a clogged drain or the street sweepers aren't coming through. We want to know about that now because we can take care of it," she said.
She added that free community emergency response training, known as CERT, is available nationwide. It helps prepare a force of community volunteers because, she said, during a true disaster, first responders may not be able to reach everyone for days.