San Joaquin delta communities prepare for potential record-breaking El Niño

It's a memory seared into the minds of many Walnut Grove residents: the massive flooding of 1986.

"In the '80s, there was a really bad one," Walnut Grove resident Christine Saunters said. "The levee broke and wiped out a lot of businesses. It was really bad, really sad."

Multiple levees broke across the region that year, affecting thousands of people.

"You wanted to help but you couldn't do much," Saunters said. "They had people in little boats right into their business to get stuff out of it. It was really sad."

Emily Pappalardo, a principal engineer with Tule Engineering, was born and raised in Walnut Grove and remembers the impact as well.

"This was one of the biggest floods we'd had in a flood season in my lifetime," Pappalardo said.

Now, Pappalardo is working with state and local officials to prepare the Delta for what could be a record-breaking El Niño storm season.

She said the preparation process starts well before the rain arrives, including reviewing emergency plans, checking flood-fighting supplies and making sure equipment can be deployed quickly.

"With the predictions, they look more convincing maybe than other years, but we always prepare the same way," Pappalardo said. "Basically reviewing our emergency plans, making sure we have all our flood fight supplies accessible and inventory to know what we have."

With Gov. Gavin Newsom's state of emergency declaration, Pappalardo is also hoping to secure barges, which can be an important tool for moving materials and equipment and responding to rising water levels.

She pointed to a 2017 levee failure on Tyler Island as an example of how early preparation can make a difference.

"In 2017, there was a large levee slip on Tyler Island," Pappalardo said. "They were able to save that island. We saw that as a complete success story of pre-positioning these materials throughout the Delta so that you can really decrease the amount of time that it would take to get the materials and the equipment there, because timing is everything in these situations."

Pappalardo said surrounding counties have also been preparing early this year.

San Joaquin County's Office of Emergency Services said it is taking a similar approach, beginning preparedness efforts before the forecast becomes clearer.

"We're starting our preparedness work now rather than waiting for the forecast to become clearer," the county said in a statement. "The County will be hosting a flood preparedness meeting which will be followed by workshops focused on helping County departments prepare their teams for the potential impacts of El Niño."

Because the Delta spans multiple counties and communities, Saunters said seeing preparations begin early provides some reassurance.

"When we have storms, they really try to make sure the levees are pretty well prepared for it," Saunters said. "I'm just glad summer's over. I like the fall and the winter, but who knows what'll happen? Can only do what you can do."

Tule Engineering is also hosting a community "Flood Fight Training" on Nov. 17 to help residents prepare for potential flooding and learn how to respond during an emergency.