El Niño Storm Preparations Underway

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) The Santa Barbara City Council received a Winter Storm Preparedness Update.

With El Niño-related weather activity in the forecast city and counties are preparing for a possible increase in rainfall.

The city of Santa Barbara is urging residents to prepare, stay informed and learn about local readiness efforts.

Now is the time to prepare to protect their families, homes, and property from flooding.

"We want people to know that the upcoming El Niño is serious, " said Asst. City Manager René Eyerly.

The city and county can help.

"With any upcoming storm season, we want them to be looking at their homes and cleaning their gutters and looking at the roof, we want them to be having an evacuation plan, to have their go kits ready and we want them to know the city and county have a lot of information to get them prepared," said Eyerly.

Flooding can happen with little warning, especially in areas below the south county foothills prone to flooding during periods of heavy rain.

The County of Santa Barbara is also hosted a virtual El Niño Community Meeting on Thursday, Oct. 1, at 5:30 p.m. Residents are encouraged to Register for the Meeting

The meeting will cover the weather outlook, creek and road preparations, and key storm and flood safety tips.

Everyone is encouraged to sign up to receive emergency alerts, and to review your household’s emergency evacuation plans, and make a go bag full of supplies.

Residents are also urged to find out if their home and workplace is in a flood zone.

Sign up for ReadySBC alerts, by visiting, readysbc.org.

Find out about flood zones, by visiting, the FEMA Flood Map Service Center.