El Nino Preparation

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Prepare Your Home for El Niño

The 2026–27 El Niño may bring intense storms, heavy rainfall, strong winds, flooding, erosion, and landslides. Residents are encouraged to prepare their homes before winter storms arrive.

Prepare Your Property

  • Inspect roofs, retaining walls, foundations, and slopes for damage.
  • Clean gutters, downspouts, and drainage systems.
  • Check plumbing, pools, spas and irrigation systems for leaks.
  • Make sure water drains away from buildings, foundations and slopes.
  • Remove dead branches, loose furniture and other objects that could be carried by strong winds.
  • Protect bare soil with mulch, native plants or erosion-control material.
  • Watch for standing water, seepage, saturated soil or new cracks.
  • Consult a qualified professional if your property has drainage problems, significant slopes or signs of soil movement.

Sandbag Program

  • Collect your voucher for 10 filled sandbags!
  • Visit City Hall (Suite 203 or 212) or the Community Center with proof of residency to receive your voucher.
  • Vouchers may be redeemed at White Cap - 33061 San Juan Capistrano.
  • Watch this video for tips on effectively placing the bags on your property.
  • Sandbags available while supplies last.
  • 10 free sandbags per household.

Stay Informed

Monitor National Weather Service advisories, watches and warnings. Avoid flooded roads, unstable slopes, coastal bluffs and areas affected by falling debris. Follow evacuation orders, road closures and instructions from public safety officials.  Sign up for AlertOC for emergency notifications at alertoc.gov and follow the City on Instagram, Facebook, or Nextdoor.  

Report Issues

Download the City's Dana Point Connect app to report non-emergency road issues or debris. For immediate concerns call (949) 770-6011 for non emergency dispatch, or 9-1-1 for emergencies. 

Property Improvements

Drainage, grading, structural, landscaping, and slope-stabilization work may require City review or permits, particularly on coastal or hillside properties. Contact the City before beginning work:

  • Planning Division: (949) 248-3563
  • Public Works and Engineering Services: (949) 248-3562

What is El Niño?

El Niño is a natural climate pattern that returns every few years. It happens when the surface of the Pacific Ocean along the equator becomes warmer than average and stays that way for months. The tropical Pacific drives much of the world's weather, so when it heats up, storm patterns shift across the globe. Southern California is one of the places that feels it most.

What should Dana Point expect?

In a strong El Niño winter, the Pacific storm track shifts south over Southern California. That typically means: 

  • More frequent and stronger storms, with less time to dry out in between
  • Heavy rain that has the potential to flood downtown and canyon roads and saturates hillsides
  • Higher sea levels and large winter swells that erode beaches and damage sea walls, especially at high tide
  • More power outages from wind, falling trees and flooding 

Why is this one different?

Forecasters rank El Niño by how far the Pacific warms above average. NOAA gives a greater than 90% chance this will be a "very strong" event, a level reached only a few times on record, including 1997-98 and 2015-16. Some models suggest it could be the strongest since at least 1950, peaking between October and December.

For additional preparation guidance, visit the California Coastal Commission’s El Niño webpage, the National Weather Service, and the Cal OES Fact Sheet(PDF, 113KB).

 

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