Albany volunteers urge residents to prepare for El Niño

Albany emergency response volunteers are encouraging residents to take steps to protect their neighborhoods as officials prepare for a stormy El Niño winter.

According to an October forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, there is a greater than 83% chance of a strong-to-very strong El Niño persisting into early 2027, potentially through March.

State and local officials are urging property owners in coastal communities across the Bay Area to prepare for strong storms, heavy rainfall, large waves, flooding and erosion, citing the impact of previous El Niño seasons.

The strong El Niño seasons of 1982-83 and 1997-98 brought heavy rainfall and large waves to coastal California during multiple winter storms, resulting in flooding and property damage, as well as coastal erosion.

Flooding associated with severe storms "has been among the most common hazards in the Bay Area during the period from 1950 to 2015, occurring nearly annually," according to the city.

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Sept. 21 to accelerate preparations, saying the state needed to "move faster to protect communities, stage critical resources, and strengthen readiness before severe weather intensifies."

Raymond Yee, a volunteer with Albany’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), said residents have a role to play in preparing their neighborhoods for flooding.

Albany CERT volunteers work with the Albany Fire Department to train residents in basic disaster response.

The course covers disaster preparedness, fire safety, disaster medical operations, light search and rescue, team organization, disaster psychology and terrorism awareness. Free training concludes with a hands-on skills day and a final exam.

Yee said Albany’s primary hazards include a major earthquake on the Hayward Fault, wildfire and winter storms — but the group has recently turned its focus to El Niño preparation, he said.

"Being prepared together is important, because it's going to be a distributed effort," Yee said.

For residents planning for winter storms, Yee recommended starting with the Listos California Disaster Ready Guide, which Albany CERT mailed to households last year.

He also encouraged residents to make a family emergency plan and sign up for AC Alert, Alameda County's emergency alert and notification system.

Residents can also help by paying attention to storm drains near their homes, Yee said.

"If more people were a bit more aware of the drains near them and of the potential for flooding, we'd collectively be more prepared," Yee said.

In an Oct. 16 announcement, the city of Albany outlined local preparations, including storm drain maintenance, sandbag availability and staffing for weather-related emergencies, urging residents to "remove leaves and other debris around storm drains and other areas" to help minimize potential flooding.

Residents can also check their property's designated flood risk using FEMA's Flood Map Service Center.

Sandbags are available at the Albany Fire Station, 1000 San Pablo Ave., and sand is available at Ocean View Park, 900 Buchanan St; residents can obtain up to 10 sandbags with proof of residency and should bring a shovel to Ocean View Park.

Residents who need help filling sandbags can call Albany CARES at 510-524-9283.

Yee also encouraged interested residents to sign up for CERT training.

The next CERT course in Albany is planned for spring and is open to residents ages 16 and older. Residents can email AlbanyCERT@gmail.com to be added to the email list.

"We are small and the problems are big. But we have some incredibly dedicated people who put a lot of effort into helping our community," Yee said. "There are a lot of people who would help if they knew how to."

Learn more on the Albany's storm response page. Have questions for Albany Scanner, or want to share story tips? Here's how to reach us.