San Francisco mayor declares local emergency to prepare for El Niño storm effects

By Carlos E. Castañeda

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has declared a local emergency to help speed up the city’s preparedness for El Niño storm conditions this winter.

Lurie announced the emergency declaration on Friday, joining other counties and jurisdictions in the Bay Area and the state in declaring local emergencies to prepare for severe storms, flooding, and the continuity of essential services. In September, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide emergency proclamation to help state agencies move faster on El Niño storm preparations.

San Francisco’s declaration suspends certain contracting requirements to allow for city departments to secure goods and services needed for storm preparations.

“Today, I am declaring a local emergency to ensure San Francisco is ready for the severe storms, flooding, and high tides that El Niño could bring this winter,” said Lurie in a prepared statement. “We are acting now to make sure our departments have the resources they need to protect San Franciscans quickly throughout the season. We will continue preparing across city departments, and I’m asking every San Franciscan to do their part so we can keep our communities safe—because the time to prepare for a major storm is before it arrives.”

The declaration streamlines the procurement and contract awarding processes allowing city departments to quickly obtain items such as flood barriers, pumps, and generators to protect infrastructure and keep essential services running. The city will also be stocking up on first-aid and shelter supplies and portable restrooms for residents and frontline workers during severe weather. 

In addition, the declaration directs all departments to cooperate with requests from the city’s Emergency Operations Center, and allows the mayor to reallocate funds within and between departments as needed during the emergency.

San Francisco residents were also urged to prepare for the upcoming storms by elevating objects in basements or garages in flood-prone areas, and securing loose items before the onset of high winds. The city’s Public Works offers free sandbags to residents who can check sfpublicworks.org/sandbags for current information.

People seeking flood insurance are reminded that policies typically have a 30-day waiting period before coverage begins. The city said property owners who have experienced flooding from public right-of-way or sewer-system backflow can apply for up to $100,000 toward flood-assistance protection projects from the SFPUC’s Floodwater Management Grant Program.

Also, businesses were referred to the city’s free business preparedness webinar on November 4 at 10:00 a.m. for guidance on emergency planning, insurance, documenting losses, and operating during power outages.