The San Jose City Council on Tuesday, Nov. 10, proclaimed a local emergency ahead of the coming El Niño storm season, the city said in a news release and ABC7 reported.
The city’s release said the proclamation lets staff buy flood-protection materials and equipment more quickly while tracking costs for possible state and federal reimbursement, hire contractors for work that reduces flooding, request mutual aid from neighboring cities, Santa Clara County and the state, and reassign employees to storm preparation and response. City Manager Jennifer Maguire said the proclamation is “a tool for us to continue to prepare for what could be a historic storm season.” Mayor Matt Mahan said, “El Niño won’t wait for bureaucracy, and neither can we.”
The city said the decision followed updated National Weather Service forecasts and discussions with Valley Water about flood risks along San Jose creeks and rivers. ABC7 quoted Ray Riordan, director of the Office of Emergency Management, saying, “It’s a matter of getting ahead of the situation, rather than being behind it.” Related: Tuesday’s vote preview.