San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie declared a local emergency on Friday as the city prepares for potential severe storms and coastal flooding associated with El Niño this winter.
Inside a busy emergency management warehouse, county workers are organizing supplies and equipment that could be deployed to shelters and flood-stricken communities at a moment's notice.
A major update from the Climate Prediction Center shows a "very strong" El Niño now has a 70% chance of exceeding all previous ones on record as it continues to strengthen through the winter. Northern California could see double its normal monthly rainfall for either December, January or February.
Sonoma County officials are stepping up preparations for a potentially wet winter, declaring an emergency Tuesday as forecasters warn that a strong El Niño could bring unusually heavy rain.