San Jose city leaders opened the doors of the city's Emergency Operations Center on Wednesday, Oct. 14, to show how they are preparing for what forecasters say could be a significant, possibly record-breaking El Niño storm season. Residents can learn how to get ready at a free Zoom workshop at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, and Valley Water's free sandbag sites in San Jose open Nov. 1.

What the city is doing

The 11,000-square-foot Emergency Operations Center, which moved to its new location in 2024, brings the city's operations, logistics, recovery and planning teams into one room during an emergency, ABC7 News reported. Ray Riordan, San Jose's director of emergency management, said having everyone "in one place, one location gathering the information" will improve coordination across the city and county compared with past winters.

San Jose and partner agencies, including Valley Water, have already run storm exercises and training sessions. In the field, crews are working along rivers, creeks and storm drains, and the Department of Transportation is clearing debris from high-risk spots so water can drain during heavy rain. According to the city, it inspects, cleans and maintains about 35,000 storm drain inlets and 31 stormwater pump stations every year before the rainy season.

"The best time to prepare is not when the first drops start falling," Mayor Matt Mahan said. He acknowledged that flooding cannot be eliminated entirely and said the city would share more in the coming weeks about how it is reducing risk in the neighborhoods it considers most vulnerable. Assistant City Manager Lee Wilcox said atmospheric rivers can drop 2 to 3 inches of rain over a few days, which is why the city has focused on the storm drain system ahead of the peak.

Oct. 21 El Niño workshop

The city's Office of Emergency Management will host an online El Niño Storm Preparedness Workshop on Zoom at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 21. Registration is through the city's storm preparedness page. The session will cover how to sign up for emergency alerts, build an emergency plan and supply kit, and check whether your home is in a flood zone. Questions can go to [email protected].

Where to get free sandbags

Valley Water offers free filled sandbags to Santa Clara County residents from Nov. 1 through April 15, with dates subject to change depending on the weather. Its San Jose sites are the City Central Service Yard at 1661 Senter Road at Phelan Avenue, and Valley Water's Winfield Warehouse on Winfield Boulevard between Blossom Hill Road and Coleman Avenue. There is also an Alviso site at 5030 N. First St., behind George Mayne Elementary School, with the entrance on Wilson Way. During storms, sites may have only sand and empty bags, so the agency suggests bringing a shovel and someone to help load.

What residents should do now

  • Sign up for AlertSCC, Santa Clara County's free emergency alert system, at oem.santaclaracounty.gov.
  • Check the city's GIS flood map and Valley Water's creek monitoring map to see your risk.
  • Clear roofs and gutters, seal cracks and plan for power outages.
  • Report blocked drains and downed trees to San Jose 311, and creek blockages to Valley Water. Call 911 for downed power lines.

Other Bay Area cities are bracing too. See our coverage of San Mateo County's sandbag and flood prep and Oakland's $3.6 billion storm drain backlog.