Oceanside has created a special working group of city officials to review flood-response procedures and begin clearing storm drains, creeks and the San Luis Rey River to get ready for what’s widely expected to be a very strong El Niño.
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“Preparing for a season like this takes every department working from the same playbook,” City Manager Jonathan Borrego said in a news release Tuesday.
“Public Works, Fire, Police, Engineering and Water Utilities have been coordinating, and that work will continue throughout the fall and winter,” Borrego said. “We’re taking these steps now so we’re ready to respond when storms arrive, and we encourage residents to do the same.”
Carlsbad, San Diego and other cities in the county also are preparing for severe weather.
El Niño conditions accompany unusually warm ocean currents and can trigger the region’s heaviest rains, sometimes with flooding, mudslides and damage to roads, bridges and public utilities.
One of the region’s worst storms occurred in January 1916, taking out railroad and highway bridges across the San Luis Rey and dramatically reshaping the riverbed. The river can rise rapidly during a storm. Normally less than 6 feet deep at its gauge in Oceanside, it crested at a record 21.7 feet in the winter of 1993.
Oceanside’s working group is reviewing readiness, triggers for a coordinated response, and how the city will communicate with residents once storms arrive, officials said. Employees of the city’s Engineering Division will visit residents and businesses concerned about flooding or drainage to offer guidance.
“During active storm periods, crews will patrol for flooding, and equipment and barricades will be staged in case road closures are temporarily needed,” the city’s release states. “A separate team will be on standby to clear downed trees and limbs from public streets.”
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, working with the city, completed a system of levees and other flood controls on the San Luis Rey River in 2000. Also, the city mows about 170 acres of the riverbed every fall to be ready for storms by clearing the way for rising water.
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During heavy rain, the Oceanside Fire Department’s lifeguards work with regional partners including Cal Fire and nearby cities when needed for water and flood rescues.
“Our crews train for this every year, but a season this strong has prompted us to start the preparation earlier than normal,” Fire Chief Jess Specht said in the release.
“We will be working in close coordination with our neighboring agencies, Cal Fire and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services to ensure we are staging adequate resources and will monitor conditions closely,” Specht said. “If we ask you to evacuate or avoid an area, it’s because we’ve seen something that tells us it’s necessary.”
The Oceanside Police Department has equipped patrol vehicles with hi-lo sirens, a unique two-tone alert sound used for emergency evacuations, the release states. If flooding requires evacuating a neighborhood, officers will drive through the area using the hi-lo siren so residents recognize it as a signal to act, separate from a standard patrol siren.
To receive automated alerts about Oceanside emergencies, text the word “Oceanside” to 67283, or sign up online through the Smart911 website.
Carlsbad, just south of Oceanside, is making similar preparations.
“City staff are reviewing emergency action plans for the Calavera, Maerkle and Mahr Dams, ensuring swift water rescue teams, Urban Search & Rescue teams, Public Works crews and the city’s Emergency Operations Center are ready, and coordinating the availability and distribution of sandbags for the community,” Carlsbad City Manager Geoff Patnoe said in an email Tuesday.
“We are also inspecting and clearing storm drains and other drainage channels, trimming trees, preparing for potential mud and debris flows, checking all water and wastewater pumps, and reviewed and replaced batteries and backup generators at the Maerkle Reservoir and lift stations,” Patnoe said.
San Diego city officials began a broad preparation campaign this month, clearing miles of storm drains and flood channels. They sent out more than 7,000 mailers to addresses in high risk areas with guidance on protecting property, understanding risks and buying flood insurance.
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