More than three years after powerful storms displaced thousands of residents, Merced city and county officials are preparing for a strong El Niño season by organizing their emergency coordination, public outreach and creek cleanup.
Both the city and county declared a state of emergency to increase preparedness. Those announcements followed Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement for a similar statewide emergency proclamation near the end of September.
The proclamations came after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted a greater than 83% chance of a strong El Niño season, a weather event that could potentially even be historic. Strong El Niño conditions could bring intense rain, or even flooding, from January to March.
Creek maintenance work begins
City council members unanimously approved an emergency proclamation earlier this month. That declaration allows for the city to expand Bear Creek maintenance, City Attorney Craig Cornwell said.
“This action today is really about giving us the tools to take on the other creek areas,” City Manager Scott McBride added. “We may need to enter into contracts with service providers, get materials that are necessary. We’re not overlooking the preparations that need to occur should this storm turn serious, and we have to take actions.”
An on-call waterway contractor is already clearing debris from Planada’s Miles Creek, according to Lindsey Johnson, Merced County assistant director of public works. Clearing for Bear Creek near Crocker Dam began in early October, she said during a recent Merced County Board of Supervisors meeting.
Additionally, through the efforts of Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria, the state awarded the city of Merced $5 million to help with creek repairs and storm drainage upgrades.
Flooding concerns are on the mind of residents after a breached levee swamped Planada in January 2023. During the same storm, flood waters went over the banks of Bear Creek in Merced, flooding homes and displacing residents in several neighborhoods.
The situation was so dire, President Joe Biden declared it a major disaster in Merced County.
No lives were lost, but the storm caused catastrophic damage to many homes, plus the elementary school and community center in Planada. Many of the 4,000 residents organized their own clean up and response in the aftermath before government aid became available.
Communication plans for potential evacuations
Outreach is a tool Merced County officials are using to prepare the public in the event of a storm-related emergency.
County officials are working on messaging in multiple languages for schools and districts in the county. County partnerships range from emergency services, public works and community organizations.
“This doesn’t mean we’re going to have significant flooding or significant rain. We don’t know, but we want to be prepared for that scenario if it does come,” said Adam Amaral, Merced County emergency services manager. “No agency fights a flood alone. No agency deals with any disaster or any incident alone.”
If there is an evacuation order, the county will send out emergency alerts to every phone in the
county, Amaral said. These alerts will be focused on evacuation areas.
The county developed a task force three months ago that focuses on critical areas such as road infrastructure, drains, culverts and creeks.
Monthly updates will keep the public informed on ongoing storm preparation efforts countrywide, CEO Mark Hendrickson added.
Merced County Sheriff Vernon Warnke joined county staff to echo how agencies are collaborating – and ready to respond.
“My agency is also very committed,” Warnke said. “Every piece of equipment that we have is up and running and ready to go at a moment’s notice.”
Still, some residents, such as Alicia Rodriguez, want to see more communication from the county on creek cleanups.
A resident of Planada for 40 years, Rodriguez lived through the flooding and its aftermath. She regularly meets with residents and helped advocate for flood relief funding in 2023. Some families are just now receiving their reimbursement checks, she said.
“They don’t need to be specific with the dates, but they should reassure the residents saying we are going to clean it,” Rodriguez said. “Officials need to let their community residents know that it is going to happen, and that way the residents can take a look at it and be patient,” she added.
What can residents do now to prepare?
County officials want residents to be prepared in the meantime.
That includes cleaning debris from drainage areas around one’s home, reviewing emergency plans, identifying evacuation routes, emergency supplies and staying connected to official emergency information, Amaral advised.
Merced County residents can sign up for the emergency alert system for updates during emergencies like severe weather, flooding, wildfires and other public safety concerns. The system was recently renamed to MCALERTS, but residents already signed up do not need to create another account. It is free to register.
Residents may also text their ZIP code to 888-777 to receive text notifications for incidents affecting their area.
