Los Angeles, Sep 22: California has declared a state of emergency to accelerate preparations for a potentially record-strong El Nino, directing state agencies to strengthen readiness for winter storms, flooding, landslides and coastal hazards.
The proclamation will mobilise state resources and speed up preparations ahead of possible weather-related impacts. State agencies have been directed to protect vulnerable communities, prepare roads and critical infrastructure, stockpile emergency supplies and work with local partners to reduce the risks of flooding, landslides and coastal hazards.
The governor’s office said the emerging El Nino has already broken records and is expected to strengthen further, potentially becoming the strongest event recorded.
El Nino is a natural climate pattern marked by warmer-than-average ocean temperatures in the tropical eastern Pacific. The governor’s office said the phenomenon can alter weather patterns and bring wetter, more intense winters to California.
Authorities have urged Californians to sign up for emergency alerts and prepare evacuation plans as the state readies for potential winter impacts.
The risks associated with a high-intensity El Nino also extend across Latin America and the Caribbean. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) has warned that an extreme event could cause losses equivalent to at least 2 per cent of the region’s GDP and push an additional 4.8 million people into poverty.
In a report titled “The Effects of El Nino in Latin America and the Caribbean and Recommendations for Addressing It”, the Santiago-based agency said a high-intensity event could have wide-ranging economic, social and productive effects, particularly across energy, agriculture, fisheries and infrastructure.
ECLAC Executive Secretary Jose Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs warned of severe economic and social repercussions if El Nino reaches high intensity, with key productive sectors also facing significant impacts.
The agency said the largest economic losses would likely occur during the first year of the event, although the consequences could persist beyond that period. It also warned that declining household incomes could push poverty levels higher toward the end of the decade.
California’s emergency declaration therefore places immediate emphasis on preparedness, while ECLAC’s assessment highlights the broader economic and social risks that could accompany an extreme El Nino event.
