San Rafael Declares Local Emergency, Sets Aside $500,000 to Prepare for El Niño Flooding

San Rafael is getting ready for what forecasters say could be an unusually strong El Niño winter. On Monday, Oct. 5, the City Council declared a local emergency over increased flood risk and set aside $500,000 for storm preparation, the city announced.

Where the money comes from and what it buys

The money comes from the city's General Fund Emergency Reserve, which held $10.8 million as of June 30, the San Rafael Record reported, citing the city staff report. The funds can go toward temporary pumps, generators, hoses, barriers, sandbags, equipment rentals, emergency contractors, traffic control, communications gear, staff overtime and emergency sheltering. The declaration also lets the city skip competitive bidding on those contracts, and the city plans to seek state and federal reimbursement where it can.

The council must review the emergency at least every 60 days until it ends.

Why San Rafael is exposed

In its announcement, the city said parts of San Rafael sit on land that has settled to near or below Bay level, so heavy rain or high tides can flood homes, businesses and roads. According to the staff report as summarized by the Record, more than 16,000 residents live next to the Bay or tidally influenced waterways, and southeast San Rafael ranks as more flood-prone than 99.98% of census tracts nationally on FEMA's National Risk Index.

The action follows Gov. Gavin Newsom's statewide emergency proclamation on Sept. 21. The staff report cites the federal Climate Prediction Center's estimate of a greater than 90% chance of a very strong El Niño this fall and winter. King tides are expected around Nov. 24 to 26, Dec. 22 to 25 and Jan. 20 to 23.

What residents can do

The city is handing out free sandbags, up to 10 per household, at Terra Linda Community Center (670 Del Ganado Road), the Menzies parking lot (1428 Mission Ave.), Peacock Gap Park (699 Biscayne Drive) and the Boro Community Center (50 Canal St.).

City officials also urge residents to sign up for AlertMarin and opt into its king tide and coastal flooding notifications, check that insurance covers flooding, avoid driving through standing water, move cars out of low-lying areas ahead of storms, and keep three days of food, water and power on hand.