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Long Beach City Council Approves Proclamation of Local Emergency to Prepare for El Niño Impacts
By Staff Writer
Published on Thu, Sep 24, 2026
The Long Beach City Council is adopting a resolution to ratify the City Manager’s Proclamation of Local Emergency to prepare for what is potentially forecasted to be a historic El Niño season. This will allow Long Beach to further develop preparedness measures and give the City emergency powers to respond quickly if severe winter weather causes flooding, coastal impacts, landslides or other local emergencies.
This decision follows a State of Emergency proclamation issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sept. 21 to strengthen statewide preparedness and direct State agencies to take proactive steps to protect vulnerable communities and critical infrastructure.
The proclamation supports the City’s ability to rapidly procure and stage equipment; coordinate preparedness and mitigation activities; and work with neighboring jurisdictions, regional agencies, Los Angeles County, the State and federal agencies. This will allow the City to respond more quickly as conditions develop and help protect life, property, critical infrastructure and essential City services.
This comes after Long Beach’s Peninsula sustained significant damage from Hurricane Marie in mid-September. During the storm, high surf and large waves surged over portions of the Peninsula. Extensive preparations before and during the storm helped minimize damage and maintain essential services, while crews worked quickly to protect residents, stabilize infrastructure and respond to changing conditions. Ahead of a historic El Niño predicted this year, Hurricane Marie highlighted the importance of both City readiness and individual preparation.
The City has emergency plans, response structures and systems in place to protect residents and respond to natural disasters, but individual preparedness is an equally important part of community resilience.
Residents are encouraged to prepare now for potential future emergencies by creating an emergency plan, building an emergency supply kit and signing up for Alert Long Beach, the City’s emergency notification system, to receive emergency and severe weather notifications, as well as updates about incidents that may impact City operations, by text, voice message and/or email. Emergency preparedness resources are also available through the City’s Department of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications. More information can also be found here.
With El Niño conditions expected to bring increased weather activity later this year, now is the time for residents to prepare, stay informed and know what to do when an emergency occurs. By taking steps today and working together, the City and community can be better prepared for whatever conditions come next.
