Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for California on Monday, Sept. 21, to fast-track flood protection permits.
Forecasters say the approaching El Niño season could reach historic strength.
The declaration carries particular weight in southern Marin, where low-lying stretches from Sausalito north through Corte Madera and Larkspur become vulnerable to flooding when high tides top 7 feet. A king tide in June already set a summertime record in Marin, sending water 1.97 feet above normal and flooding streets including Doherty Drive, Lucky Drive and Redwood Highway at Wornum Drive, the Marin IJ reported.
Newsom's proclamation lets state agencies speed up permits for beach replenishment and seawall repairs, according to Patch. It authorizes the purchase of water pumps, sandbags and other flood equipment. Caltrans will pre-position traffic-control and road-closure gear on vulnerable highways, and the National Guard is on standby for search-and-rescue missions.
The Governor's Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) will expand multilingual severe-weather communications under the order. CalOES Director Caroline Thomas Jacobs said the state is "not waiting for this season's storms to be on our doorstep."
Local agencies already mobilizing
Southern Marin's flood preparations began months before the governor acted. The Flood Zone 9 Advisory Board, which manages the watershed stretching from San Anselmo through Ross, Kentfield, Greenbrae, Corte Madera and Larkspur, unanimously approved $250,000 for initial El Niño preparations at its June 25 meeting, according to the Marin IJ. That money covers check valves, portable walls and pallets of sandbags, according to Robin Bartlett, the county's public works engineering manager.
Larkspur City Council member Gabe Paulson, who chairs the Flood Zone 9 board, pressed for a broader scope. He listed sea-level rise, compound flooding and riverine flooding as overlapping threats, then asked, "What are you guys really trying to do?"
Marin County public safety officials presented their El Niño readiness strategy to the Board of Supervisors on Aug. 18. The plan includes emergency exercises with cities, towns, first responders and utilities, plus coordination with the National Weather Service on forecasting and communication, Patch reported.
The Southern Marin Fire Protection District issued its own advisory Aug. 19 warning of heavy rain, debris flows, high winds, downed trees and power outages. The district said it is coordinating with local towns and the county.
Scientists warn of record sea levels
El Niño has a greater than 90% chance of becoming a very strong event and a 75% chance of reaching historic strength, according to state officials. Ocean temperatures in the El Niño monitoring region are running 2.7 degrees Celsius above normal and are expected to keep climbing for two to four months, according to Columbia University's tracker.
The stakes are high. Mark Merrifield, director of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography's Center for Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation, told a town hall hosted by state Sen. Mike McGuire in August that the event could produce "likely the highest sea levels ever recorded on the California coast."
Climate scientist Daniel Swain of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources said the El Niño will add roughly six inches of temporary sea level rise on top of climate-driven increases, according to a Friends of Corte Madera Creek Watershed newsletter. A five-foot increase in tidal water level would be devastating for low-lying areas in Corte Madera and Larkspur, though areas upstream of the College Avenue bridge in Kentfield appear to be unaffected, the newsletter states.
County emergency officials told the Sausalito City Council that the most worrisome tides will crest on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and in late January, the Marin IJ reported.
What residents can do
Fewer than half of Marin households, about 46,000 homes, are signed up for AlertMarin, the county's emergency notification system, according to a Sept. 16 county news release. A countywide test of the system is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 26, at 10 a.m. Residents can register at Emergency.MarinCounty.gov.
