The City of Morro Bay is offering tips to help community members be prepared for the predicted El Niño weather patterns and potentially damaging weather conditions that it could bring to Morro Bay this winter.
According to an August 2023 ENSO forecast by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there is a greater than 95% chance that El Niño conditions will continue through the 2023-24 winter, and a 66% percent chance of a strong El Niño. Past strong El Niños have been characterized by extended periods of high intensity rainfall, triggering heavy runoff, floods, mudslides, debris flow, and landslides both inland and along the coast.
Check List:
• Inspect slopes: Visually inspect all sloped areas for signs of erosion gullying, surface cracks, and slumping. If signs of slope movement are observed, consider contacting a California-licensed geologist or geotechnical engineer for a site inspection.
• Inspect bare ground: Large bare areas may be sources for mudflows during rain.
• Inspect drains and gutters: Storm water runoff should be directed into appropriate drainage control areas to avoid excessive soil saturation.
• Inspect structures
• Inspect Roofs
The City will make available mounds of sand for sandbagging in the library parking lot before major storms. The City does not provide the sandbags or a shovel. The public is also encouraged to prepare for severe weather and other natural disasters by ensuring they have taken steps for personal emergency preparedness. The recommendation is to have sufficient supplies in your residence to sustain each occupant for at least 72 hours. This includes food, water, medications, clothing, batteries, flashlights, sanitation supplies, blankets or bedding for warmth, and sources for backup power such as battery packs, generators, etc. to charge cell phones and radios.
