meet these requirements remains the same. Additionally, the City actively pursues state and federal funding to support various street projects, which require specialized expertise and a significant investment of staff time that internal resources may not be able to accommodate.
As such, the City has been supported by LAE Associates, Inc. in coordinating with agencies such as Caltrans and the California Transportation Commission. In recent years, LAE Associates, Inc. has assisted the City with several grant-funded projects and compliance efforts, including the biannual update of the City’s Caltrans Quality Assurance Plan (QAP), program coordination for the Lampson Avenue Bike Trail project, development of the Caltrans Title VI Plan, and coordination of the Seal Beach Boulevard Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) grant application.
Seal Beach Municipal Code Section 3.20.025(C) provides an exemption from competitive bidding for purchases of professional services, including, but not limited to, architectural services, bond services, election services, engineering services, insurance services, legal services, public relations services, real estate services, and solid waste disposal services. Pursuant to this provision, the City solicited a proposal from LAE Associates, Inc. and is requesting authorization to enter into a one-year agreement in an amount not to exceed $30,000.
Although LAE Associates, Inc.’s proposed agreement for Fiscal Year 2026-27 is below the current competitive bidding threshold of $42,982, staff has been advised that, due to the nature of LAE Associates, Inc.’s work and the potential for grantrelated support services to extend across multiple years, the cumulative contract amount for the same scope of services with the same consultant requires City Council approval. Accordingly, staff is requesting authorization for a one-year agreement with LAE Associates, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $30,000, with the option to extend the agreement for up to three additional one-year terms, with each extension also not to exceed $30,000.
Because the timing of grant-related and interagency support services may not always align with the City’s annual Fiscal Year budgeting cycle, staff is also requesting authorization to approve additional work requests, as needed, in an amount not to exceed $10,000 per contract term. The additional work requests would be subject to the same cumulative not-to-exceed amount of $40,000 for the initial one-year term and each of the three potential one-year extensions.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:
This project complies with all requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and is categorically exempt under section 15301 Class 1, Subsection (b) of the CEQA Guidelines because it can be seen with certainty that approval of the LAE Associates, Inc. Professional Services Agreement will not have a significant effect on the environment.
LEGAL ANALYSIS:
The City Attorney has reviewed and approved the resolution and agreement as to form.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Sufficient funding for this agreement has been allocated in the approved Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget across multiple Maintenance Contract Professional accounts. Funding will be drawn from the appropriate account based on the grant type or specific support services provided.
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council adopt Resolution 7822:
1. Approving and awarding a Professional Services Agreement to Local Agency Engineering Associates, Inc. (LAE Associates, Inc.) for Interagency Support Services pursuant to the exemption from competitive bidding requirements set forth in Seal Beach Municipal Code (SBMC) for Section
3.20.025(C) for professional services, for a one-year term in the not-toexceed amount of $30,000 pursuant to the Proposal submitted by LAE Associates, Inc. dated August 6, 2026; and,
2. Authorizing the City Manager, or his designee, to extend the original term by up to three one-year extensions for the not-to-exceed amount of $30,000 for each extension; and,
3. Authorizing the City Manager, or his designee, to execute the Agreement with LAE Associates, Inc. on behalf of the City and any amendments or extensions thereafter; and,
4. Authorizing the City Manager, or his designee, to approve additional work requests for interagency support services up to $10,000 up to the cumulative not-to-exceed amount of $40,000 for original term and each of the three one-year extensions thereafter.
SUBMITTED BY: NOTED AND APPROVED:
Iris Lee Patrick Gallegos
Iris Lee, Director of Public Works Patrick Gallegos, City Manager Prepared by: Kathryne Cho, Deputy Director of Public Works / City Engineer
ATTACHMENTS:
A. Resolution 7822
B. Professional Services Agreement with LAE Associates, Inc.
RESOLUTION 7822
A RESOLUTION OF THE SEAL BEACH CITY COUNCIL
APPROVING AN AGREEMENT FOR PROFESSIONAL
SERVICES WITH LOCAL AGENCY ENGINEERING
ASSOCIATES, INC. TO PROVIDE INTERAGENCY SUPPORT
SERVICES
WHEREAS, the City desires to retain Local Agency Engineering Associates, Inc. (LAE Associates, Inc.) to provide interagency support services; and, WHEREAS, Seal Beach Municipal Code 3.20.025(C) provides for an exemption from competitive bidding for purchases of professional services, including but not limited to, purchases of: architectural services; bond services; election services; engineering services; insurance services; legal services; public relations services; real estate services; and solid waste disposal services; and, WHEREAS, on July 31, 2026, City solicited a proposal from LAE Associates, Inc. and received a response on August 6, 2026; and
WHEREAS, the City has determined that LAE Associates, Inc. is qualified to provide Interagency Support Services.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Seal Beach City Council does resolve, declare, determine, and order as follows:
Section 1. The City Council finds that all recitals set forth above are true and correct, and incorporates them herein by this reference.
Section 2. Approves and awards a Professional Services Agreement to LAE Associates, Inc. for interagency support services pursuant to the exemption from competitive bidding requirements set forth in Seal Beach Municipal Code (SBMC) Section 3.20.025(C), for a one-year term in the not-to-exceed amount of $30,000 pursuant to the Proposal submitted by LAE Associates, Inc. dated August 6, 2026.
Section 3. Authorizes the City Manager, or his designee, to extend the original term by up to three (3) one-year extensions for the notto-exceed amount of $30,000 for each extension.
Section 4. Authorizes the City Manager, or his designee, to execute the Agreement with LAE Associates, Inc. on behalf of the City and any amendments or extensions thereafter.
Section 5. Authorizes the City Manager, or his designee, to approve additional work requests for interagency support services up to $10,000, up to the cumulative not-to-exceed amount of $40,000 for each term.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED by the Seal Beach City Council at a regular meeting held on the 28th day of September 2026 by the following vote:
AYES: Council Members
NOES: Council Members
ABSENT: Council Members
ABSTAIN: Council Members
Lisa Landau, Mayor
ATTEST:
Gloria D. Harper, City Clerk
STATE OF CALIFORNIA }
COUNTY OF ORANGE } SS
CITY OF SEAL BEACH }
I, Gloria D. Harper, City Clerk of the City of Seal Beach, do hereby certify that the foregoing resolution is the original copy of Resolution 7822 on file in the office of the City Clerk, passed, approved, and adopted by the City Council at a regular meeting held on the 28th day of September 2026.
Gloria D. Harper, City Clerk
Agenda Item G
AGENDA STAFF REPORT
DATE: September 28, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
THRU: Patrick Gallegos, City Manager
FROM: Michael Henderson, Chief of Police
SUBJECT: Ratification of Proclamation of Local Emergency for Developing 2026-2027 El Niño Event
________________________________________________________________ SUMMARY OF REQUEST:
That the City Council adopt Resolution 7823:
1. Ratifying the Proclamation of Existence of a Local Emergency issued by the City Manager/Director of Emergency Services on September 22, 2026, relating to the developing 2026-2027 El Niño event; and,
2. Confirming that the local emergency applies throughout the City of Seal Beach; and,
3. Authorizing the City Manager/Director of Emergency Services to take actions reasonably necessary to prepare for, respond to, and recover from the emergency, including resource staging, interagency coordination, mutual aid, and emergency procurement and contracting as authorized by law; and,
4. Directing staff to document emergency-related costs and damages, pursue available reimbursement or assistance as appropriate, and return to the City Council at least every 60 days for review of the need to continue the local emergency.
BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS:
On September 21, 2026, Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a statewide State of Emergency due to the developing 2026-2027 El Niño event. The Governor’s proclamation cites the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center’s August 13, 2026, diagnostic report, which found a greater than 90 percent chance of a very strong El Niño during fall and winter 2026-2027 and a 69 percent chance that the event would reach historic strength during October through December 2026. The proclamation identifies severe storms, flooding, coastal flooding,
erosion, mud and debris flows, and related impacts as hazards warranting advance preparedness.
The Governor’s proclamation directs state agencies to coordinate advance planning, stage flood-fighting supplies and other resources, support local governments, and expedite applicable permitting and technical assistance. It also directs the California Coastal Commission to expedite review and action on proposed development and emergency permit requests related to El Niño preparation.
On September 17, 2026, Orange County proclaimed a local emergency following coastal impacts from Hurricane Marie and in anticipation of additional El Niñorelated weather. The County proclamation notes prior local emergency declarations by Dana Point, Laguna Beach, and San Clemente after significant coastal flooding, erosion, sand movement, infrastructure damage, and related impacts along the Orange County coastline.
Seal Beach has also experienced significant loss and movement of beach sand during recent high-surf and coastal conditions. City staff is documenting the extent of the local sand loss and related response and protective-measure costs, but a final volume and replacement or restoration cost has not yet been established.
The developing El Niño event may increase the risk of additional severe storms, heavy rain, strong winds, flooding, coastal flooding, high surf, erosion, transportation disruption, infrastructure impacts, and other emergency conditions throughout the City.
On September 22, 2026, while the City Council was not in session, City Manager Patrick Gallegos, acting as the City’s Director of Emergency Services, issued a Proclamation of Existence of a Local Emergency relating to the developing 2026- 2027 El Niño event. Seal Beach Municipal Code Section 3.25.020 authorizes the Director of Emergency Services to proclaim a local emergency when the City Council is not in session but provides that the proclamation becomes null and void seven days after issuance unless ratified by the City Council. California Government Code Section 8630 similarly requires ratification within seven days and requires the governing body to review the need for the continuing local emergency at least once every 60 days.
Ratification will preserve the City’s ability to use emergency authorities available under state and local law, coordinate and stage resources, request mutual aid when necessary, use emergency purchasing and contracting procedures when otherwise authorized, maintain detailed cost and damage records, and pursue eligible reimbursement or assistance if available. The proposed action does not itself request a County, State, or federal emergency declaration, and it does not guarantee reimbursement.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:
There is no environmental impact related to this item.
LEGAL ANALYSIS:
California Government Code Section 8630(b) requires the governing body to ratify a local emergency proclaimed by a designated official within seven days for the emergency to remain in effect. Section 8630(c) requires the governing body to review the need for continuing the local emergency at least once every 60 days until the emergency is terminated.
Seal Beach Municipal Code Section 3.25.020(A)(2) authorizes the Director of Emergency Services to proclaim a local emergency when the City Council is not in session and likewise requires City Council ratification within seven days. The attached resolution was reviewed and approved as to form by the City Attorney prior to Council consideration.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The fiscal impact is currently undetermined. The City has incurred response and protective-measure costs and may incur additional costs associated with preparedness, response, emergency protective work, coastal erosion mitigation, sand restoration or replacement, infrastructure protection, and recovery activities.
Staff will continue to document emergency-related costs and damages and pursue reimbursement or other assistance as available. Eligibility for, and the amount of, any reimbursement or assistance cannot be determined at this time.
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council adopt Resolution 7823:
1. Ratifying the Proclamation of Existence of a Local Emergency issued by the City Manager/Director of Emergency Services on September 22, 2026, relating to the developing 2026-2027 El Niño event; and,
2. Confirming that the local emergency applies throughout the City of Seal Beach; and,
3. Authorizing the City Manager/Director of Emergency Services to take actions reasonably necessary to prepare for, respond to, and recover from the emergency, including resource staging, interagency coordination, mutual aid, and emergency procurement and contracting as authorized by law; and,
4. Directing staff to document emergency-related costs and damages, pursue available reimbursement or assistance as appropriate, and return to the City Council at least every 60 days for review of the need to continue the local emergency.
SUBMITTED BY: NOTED AND APPROVED:
Michael Henderson Patrick Gallegos
Michael Henderson, Chief of
Police
Patrick Gallegos, City Manager
Prepared by: Brian Gray, Police Sergeant, Emergency Services Coordinator ATTACHMENTS:
A. Resolution 7823
B. Proclamation of Existence of a Local Emergency dated September 22, 2026
C. State of California Proclamation of a State of Emergency dated September 21, 2026
D. County of Orange Proclamation of a Local Emergency dated September 17, 2026
RESOLUTION 7823
A RESOLUTION OF THE SEAL BEACH CITY COUNCIL
RATIFYING THE SEPTEMBER 22, 2026, PROCLAMATION OF
EXISTENCE OF A LOCAL EMERGENCY RELATING TO THE
DEVELOPING 2026-2027 EL NIÑO EVENT
WHEREAS, California Government Code Section 8558 defines a local emergency to include duly proclaimed conditions of disaster or extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within a city caused by conditions such as flood or storm that are or are likely to be beyond the control of that city and require the combined forces of other political subdivisions to combat; and, WHEREAS, on September 21, 2026, the Governor of the State of California proclaimed a statewide State of Emergency due to the developing 2026-2027 El Niño event, citing a greater than 90 percent chance of a very strong El Niño during fall and winter 2026-2027 and identifying severe storms, flooding, coastal flooding, erosion, mud and debris flows, and related impacts as hazards warranting advance preparedness; and,
WHEREAS, on September 17, 2026, the County of Orange proclaimed a local emergency in its coastal areas following impacts from Hurricane Marie and in anticipation of additional El Niño-related weather, and Seal Beach has experienced significant loss and movement of beach sand during recent high-surf and coastal conditions; and,
WHEREAS, the developing El Niño event creates an increased risk of severe storms, heavy rain, strong winds, flooding, coastal flooding, high surf, erosion, transportation disruption, damage to public and private property and infrastructure, and interruption of essential services throughout the City; and, WHEREAS, Seal Beach Municipal Code Section 3.25.020(A)(2) authorizes the Director of Emergency Services to proclaim a local emergency when the City Council is not in session, and on September 22, 2026, City Manager Patrick Gallegos, acting as Director of Emergency Services, issued a Proclamation of Existence of a Local Emergency throughout the City relating to the developing 2026-2027 El Niño event; and,
WHEREAS, California Government Code Section 8630 requires a local emergency proclaimed by a designated official to be ratified by the governing body within seven days and requires the governing body to review the need for continuing the local emergency at least once every 60 days until termination.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Seal Beach City Council does resolve, declare, determine, and order as follows:
Section 1. The City Council finds that all recitals set forth above are true and correct, and incorporates them herein by this reference.
Section 2. The City Council hereby ratifies the Proclamation of Existence of a Local Emergency issued by the City Manager/Director of Emergency Services on September 22, 2026, and confirms that the local emergency exists throughout the City of Seal Beach relating to the developing 2026-2027 El Niño event and
associated threatened severe storms, flooding, coastal flooding, erosion, and related impacts.
Section 3. The powers, authorities, and mechanisms available to the City under the California Emergency Services Act, Seal Beach Municipal Code Chapter 3.25, the City’s emergency plans, and other applicable law are hereby invoked to the extent necessary to address the local emergency.
Section 4. The City Manager/Director of Emergency Services is authorized and directed to take actions reasonably necessary to prepare for, respond to, and recover from the local emergency, including resource staging, protection of City facilities and infrastructure, interagency coordination, mutual aid coordination, and
emergency procurement and contracting to the extent authorized by applicable law and City procedures.
Section 5. All City departments are directed to document emergency-related costs, damages, protective measures, staff time, contracts, equipment use, and other eligible expenses, and the City Manager or designee is authorized to pursue available County, State, or federal reimbursement, assistance, permits, technical support, or other resources as appropriate. Nothing in this Resolution constitutes a specific request for an additional County, State, or federal emergency declaration.
Section 6. Consistent with Government Code Section 8630(c), the City Council shall review the need for continuing the local emergency at least once every 60 days until the City Council terminates the local emergency at the earliest possible date that conditions warrant.
Section 7. The City Clerk shall certify to the passage and adoption of this Resolution.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED by the Seal Beach City Council at a regular meeting held on the 28th day of September 2026 by the following vote:
AYES: Council Members
NOES: Council Members
ABSENT: Council Members
ABSTAIN: Council Members
Lisa Landau, Mayor
ATTEST:
Gloria D. Harper, City Clerk
STATE OF CALIFORNIA }
COUNTY OF ORANGE } SS
CITY OF SEAL BEACH }
I, Gloria D. Harper, City Clerk of the City of Seal Beach, do hereby certify that the foregoing resolution is the original copy of Resolution 7823 on file in the office of the City Clerk, passed, approved, and adopted by the City Council at a regular meeting held on the 28th day of September 2026.
Gloria D. Harper, City Clerk
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
PROCLAMATION OF A STATE OF EMERGENCY
WHEREAS in the past several years, California has experienced increasingly severe and destructive storms, including atmospheric river events that have caused widespread flooding, mud and debris flows, landslides, high winds, power outages, road and highway closures, evacuation orders, damage to homes and critical infrastructure, and disruption of essential services; and WHEREAS climate change is intensifying these weather and hydrologic extremes in California, contributing to increasingly severe swings between drought and flooding, and heightening the risks that extreme storms pose to communities, infrastructure, natural resources, and the economy; and WHEREAS California is entering the 2026–2027 wet season amid the ongoing development of a strong and likely historic El Niño event in the Pacific Ocean; and
WHEREAS the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center, in its August 13, 2026, diagnostic report, found that the El Niño event is strengthening, with a greater than 90 percent chance of a very strong event during Northern Hemisphere fall and winter of 2026–2027; and
WHEREAS the Climate Prediction Center projected a 69 percent chance that the event will reach historic strength during the October through December 2026 season, defined as a three-month Relative Oceanic Niño Index, and exceeding the strength of all prior El Niño events in the historical record beginning in 1950; and
WHEREAS the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center has found that atmospheric conditions over the tropical Pacific are consistent with a strengthening El Niño, including changes in equatorial winds and an eastward shift in enhanced convection and rainfall toward the central and eastern Pacific, making it more likely that at least some parts of California will experience stronger storms in coming months; and
WHEREAS elevated baseline coastal water levels, combined with high tides, large waves, high surf, and coastal storms, can increase risks of coastal flooding, beach erosion, bluff erosion, transportation disruption, and damage to public and private infrastructure; and
WHEREAS California has already begun to experience effects attributed to this El Niño event, including unusual precipitation and significant coastal flooding; and
WHEREAS historical experience demonstrates that very strong El Niño events do not produce uniform statewide outcomes, but can be associated with exceptionally wet and destructive winter conditions in California; and WHEREAS California’s recent experience with atmospheric rivers, debris flows following wildfires, flash flooding, coastal erosion, inundation, and damage to transportation and flood-control infrastructure demonstrates the importance of procuring and positioning resources, clearing waterways, and taking additional actions to prepare before severe storms arrive; and WHEREAS areas affected by recent wildfires are particularly susceptible to flash flooding, mud and debris flows, erosion, sediment transport, and road closures during high-intensity rainfall; and
WHEREAS in light of that experience, local governments, local water agencies, and local flood control authorities have requested action now to enable them to move quickly to begin preparations for preventing and responding to the impacts of potential flooding; and
WHEREAS low-income communities, farmworker families, rural residents, seniors, persons with disabilities, residents with limited transportation access, people experiencing homelessness, and communities in flood-prone, coastal, or post-fire areas may face disproportionate risks; and
WHEREAS the demonstrated potential for a very strong or historic-strength El Niño event to cause elevated coastal water levels and high-impact storms in California warrants early, coordinated, and targeted preparedness actions to protect Californians, critical infrastructure, agricultural lands, natural resources, and the State’s economy; and
WHEREAS under the provisions of Government Code section 8558(b), I find that conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property exist due to the developing El Niño event; and
WHEREAS under the provisions of Government Code section 8558(b), I find that the developing El Niño event is likely to cause conditions that, by reason of their magnitude, are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of any single local government and require the combined forces of a mutual aid region or regions to appropriately respond; and
WHEREAS under the provisions of Government Code section 8625(c), I find that local authority is inadequate to cope with the magnitude of the extreme peril posed by the developing El Niño event; and
WHEREAS under the provisions of Government Code section 8571, I find that strict compliance with various statutes and regulations specified in this Proclamation would prevent, hinder, or delay the mitigation of the effects of the developing El Niño event.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GAVIN NEWSOM, Governor of the State of California, in accordance with the authority vested in me by the State Constitution and statutes, including the California Emergency Services Act, and in particular, Government Code section 8625, HEREBY PROCLAIM A STATE OF EMERGENCY to exist statewide due to the developing 2026–2027 El Niño event.
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT:
1. All agencies of the state government are to utilize and employ state personnel, equipment, and facilities for the performance of any and all activities consistent with the direction of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and the State Emergency Plan. The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services shall coordinate statewide preparedness activities for potential severe weather, flooding, coastal flooding, erosion, mud and debris flows, and related impacts associated with conditions resulting from the El Niño event, including atmospheric rivers and other severe storm systems. The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services shall work with local and tribal governments to support emergency planning, resource coordination, and requests for state assistance. To protect their safety, all residents are to obey the direction of emergency officials with regard to this emergency.
2. As necessary to assist local governments and for the protection of public safety and the environment, state agencies shall enter into contracts to arrange for the procurement of materials, goods, and services necessary to quickly assist with the response to and recovery from the impacts of this emergency. Applicable provisions of the Government Code and the Public Contract Code, including but not limited to travel, advertising, and competitive bidding requirements, are suspended to the extent necessary to address the effects of this emergency.
3. The California Environmental Protection Agency and the California Natural Resources Agency, including boards, departments, and offices within those agencies, are directed to prioritize work to help local agencies prepare for anticipated impacts from the El Niño event. In particular, those state agencies are directed to prioritize permitting, consultation, and technical assistance to support local efforts to prevent or mitigate impacts from anticipated or potential flooding, landslides, and mud and debris flows, including local efforts to expedite levee and other flood management infrastructure repairs, vegetation management, debris removal, sediment management, bridge scour protection, and channel-capacity improvements. State agencies are directed to work with local agencies to issue any necessary permits or other approvals for such efforts as quickly as possible, including by identifying and invoking existing emergency authorities or other pathways for streamlined review.
On or before October 16, 2026, the Secretary for Environmental Protection and the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency shall submit a joint recommendation to my office as to whether further action or emergency suspensions are necessary to support and expedite this work.
4. The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services shall coordinate the State’s preparation for and response to the developing El Niño event, including by working with the Department of Water Resources and other appropriate government agencies to prepare to pre-position personnel, equipment, supplies, commodities, and other resources based on forecast conditions, local needs, and identified risks. In particular, this work shall draw on the Department of Water Resources’ guidance regarding floodrisk-reduction activities.
5. The Department of Water Resources shall take appropriate action to procure, maintain, stage, pre-position, distribute, and replenish flood-fight supplies, equipment (including, but not limited to, sandbags, riprap and other rock materials, plastic sheeting, and pumps), and other materials necessary to support statewide flood preparedness, response, and protective actions in connection with the El Niño event. The Department of Water Resources shall coordinate with appropriate government agencies to identify priority areas for flood-fight material staging and plans to make these materials available where they are needed, when they are needed.
6. The Department of Water Resources, through its Division of Safety of Dams, shall conduct outreach to owners of jurisdictional dams regarding potential severe conditions during the El Niño event and shall reiterate to dam owners their responsibilities to inspect, operate, maintain, repair, and safely manage their dams and appurtenant structures in accordance with applicable law, permit conditions, emergency action plans, and directives of the Division of Safety of Dams.
7. The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, in coordination with the Department of Water Resources, shall conduct outreach to counties, cities, and relevant local agencies that are responsible for levees, floodcontrol facilities, and associated structures that may be vulnerable to impacts of the El Niño event to take appropriate actions to procure, maintain, stage, pre-position, distribute, and replenish flood-fight supplies, commodities, equipment, and materials necessary to support flood preparedness, response, and protective actions.
8. The Department of Water Resources, in coordination with the State Water Resources Control Board, shall conduct outreach and education to advance groundwater recharge projects and to use flood flows to recharge groundwater aquifers under existing law with the goal of reducing flood impacts and strengthening local water supplies.
9. Consistent with Paragraph 3 of this Proclamation, the Coastal Commission is directed to expedite review and action on proposed development by coastal communities to prepare for the impacts of this El Niño event.
Coastal communities are encouraged to submit permit applications, as appropriate, to facilitate timely Coastal Commission review, technical assistance, and other support for El Niño preparations. After an application is received, the Commission shall respond with notification of any incomplete items within five days. After an application is complete, it shall be scheduled for hearing at the next Commission meeting. For emergency permit requests, the Commission shall accept both written and oral requests to its district offices. When necessary to address an urgent need related to this emergency, the Commission shall take action on emergency permit requests as quickly as possible and within twentyfour hours of receipt.
10. The California Department of Transportation and California State Transportation Agency shall identify those state highways, bridges, culverts, drainage facilities, slopes, and other transportation infrastructure most at risk of flooding, erosion, debris flows, rockslides, mudslides, or other significant impacts from severe storms caused by the El Niño event, and transmit to the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services a prioritized list of projects to address such risks within 30 days of this Proclamation.
11. The California Department of Transportation shall develop plans to preposition personnel and materials (including directional signage, trafficcontrol devices, road-closure devices, warning signs, delineators, emergency communications equipment, and other resources) at or near locations that may be identified as at risk of severe impacts from the El Niño event. This shall include plans to prepare and pre-position snowremoval, snow-control, and ice-control equipment as appropriate, including snowplows, snow blowers, graders, loaders, chain-control equipment, salt, sand, and other materials necessary to maintain safe travel and restore access on state highways during the El Niño event.
12. The Adjutant General and the California Military Department shall, in coordination with the Director of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, identify California National Guard personnel, equipment, and capabilities that may be available to support state and local emergency operations, if activated or tasked, in relation to this El Niño event. Such planning shall include readiness for high-water vehicle operations; aviation operations, including reconnaissance, search and rescue, transport, and heavy-lift support, as appropriate; engineering support; emergency communications; transportation and logistics; evacuation support; flood-fight activities; debris removal and route clearance; commodity distribution; shelter support; and other life-safety and emergency-support missions.
13.California Volunteers, in coordination with the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and other appropriate agencies, shall prepare to mobilize volunteers and trained service members, consistent with their training, mission, safety requirements, and applicable law, to support state and local preparedness, response, and recovery activities in connection with the El Niño event.
14. The California Conservation Corps shall prepare to deploy Corpsmembers, consistent with its statutory mission, training, available resources, safety requirements, and applicable law, to support severe weather preparedness and response activities in connection with the El Niño event.
15. The California Energy Commission, the Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety, and the State Water Resources Control Board and regional water quality control boards are directed, and the California Public Utilities Commission is requested, to coordinate, consistent with their respective authorities, with electrical, natural-gas, water, wastewater, telecommunications, transportation, and other critical-service providers to enhance readiness and support timely restoration of essential services following storm impacts.
16. The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, in consultation with relevant state agencies, shall expand accessible, multilingual public preparedness communications related to severe weather, flooding, emergency alerts, evacuation readiness, power outages, safe travel, disaster assistance, and household emergency planning.
17.Agencies under my direct authority shall cooperate in their response to this emergency. Other agencies are requested to assist in responding to this emergency, as appropriate.
18. The restrictions set forth in Penal Code section 396, which are automatically triggered upon proclamation of a state of emergency, are suspended, and no such restrictions are imposed, with respect to this El Niño event, at this time.
I FURTHER DIRECT that as soon as hereafter possible, this Proclamation be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State and that widespread publicity and notice be given of this Proclamation.
This Proclamation is not intended to, and does not, create any rights or benefits, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity, against the State of California, its agencies, departments, entities, officers, employees, or any other person.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have
hereunto set my hand and caused
the Great Seal of the State of
California to be affixed this 21st day
of September 2026.
_________________________
GAVIN NEWSOM
Governor of California
ATTEST:
_____________________________
SHIRLEY WEBER, PH. D
Secretary of State