Checking Pacific status…·Updated 3 Oct 2026, 06:00 (Europe/Rome)
How to prepare for El Niño
Pick a coast. Each list says what to do before, during, and after, in plain words.
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These steps summarize public official guidance. They are not a forecast for your street.
California
Storms, flooding, and mudslides
On 21 September 2026 the Governor of California proclaimed a state of emergency so the state can get ready for El Niño storms, floods, and landslides. The steps below follow Ready.gov guidance for floods and for landslides and mudslides.
Before
Find out if your street floods or sits under a steep slope. Water does not stop at a line on a map.
Sign up for local alerts. A weather radio can warn you too.
Make a family plan, including pets: where you will go and how you will get there. Practice the route.
Clear drains and gutters so rainwater can leave the house.
Move valuables upstairs. Keep papers in a waterproof bag, and keep a copy you can open with a password.
Pack food, water, and cleaning supplies for several days, in case you must leave or the taps and power stop.
Home insurance usually does not pay for flood damage. Get flood coverage before a storm.
Ready.gov: a flood policy often takes up to 30 days to start.
On a hillside, watch for new cracks, doors that suddenly stick, leaning trees or fences, or a rumble that gets louder. A slope that burned can slide for several years.
During
If officials say leave, leave now. Do not drive around a barricade.
Do not walk, swim, or drive through flood water. Turn around.
Ready.gov: six inches of moving water can knock you down. One foot of moving water can sweep a vehicle away.
Stay off bridges over fast-moving water.
If you are trapped in a building, go up. Do not climb into a closed attic. Use the roof only if you must, then signal for help.
Stay awake if a storm could start a mudslide. Many deaths happen while people are sleeping.
Do not cross a road where water or mud is flowing. If you are in the path, move uphill. Stay out of valleys and low ground.
A stream that suddenly rises, drops, or turns muddy can mean a slide is coming.
After
Go home only when officials say it is safe. Drive only for an emergency.
Stay away from the slide. More earth can follow, and a flood can follow a slide.
Do not touch wet electrical equipment. Turn the power off only if you can do it safely.
For cleanup, wear gloves, sturdy clothes, and boots. Use a mask if you clean mold. Children should not do this work. People with asthma or a weak immune system should stay out of buildings with leaks or mold you can see or smell.
Watch for snakes and other animals in the house.
Run a gas generator only outdoors, away from windows.
Tell officials about broken power lines and damaged roads. Let a trained person check the foundation.
ENFEN Comunicado Oficial N° 17-2026 (28 September 2026) lists the alert status as Alerta de El Niño Costero and asks residents and officials to use official information and prepare. The steps below follow Peru civil-defense guidance for huaicos, heavy rain, and floods.
Before
Ask if huaicos or floods have hit your street before. A huaico is a fast rush of mud, rocks, and water down a ravine. Do not stay in that path if you can choose another place.
Make a family plan for heavy rain, floods, and huaicos.
Follow official news from your local emergency office, Defensa Civil, and Senamhi.
Pack an emergency backpack and keep it where you can grab it.
With neighbors, clear drains and trash, mark a high meeting place, and practice the walk there.
Learn the natural warnings: muddy water that rises fast, or a loud rumble like many trucks.
During
On an alert, start the family plan. Do not stop in or cross a ravine, a hillside, or a road that could be hit.
On an alarm, leave at once for the high meeting place. Take the backpack.
Do not cross the mud, and do not stop to film it.
If it is already too close to reach the meeting place, go up inside the house: an upper floor or the roof.
In a flood, move to high ground. Do not cross a flooded street or a river channel.
After
Go home only if authorities say it is safe.
Before you use them, check water, drains, electricity, and gas.
Clean the mud and disinfect the house. Wash your hands with soap.
Watch for stomach illness, skin problems, or illness from mosquitoes or rodents. Go to a clinic if you feel sick.
For heavy rain and floods in southern Brazil. The steps follow national civil-defense guidance on what to do before, during, and after intense rain.
Before
Put papers and valuables in sealed bags, somewhere you can reach quickly.
Move furniture and everyday things up off the floor.
Unplug appliances, switch off the main power, and close the water inlet.
Keep a flashlight and spare batteries ready. Do not use candles. They can start a fire.
If a slope is near your home, watch for new cracks in the ground or in the walls.
Sign up for alerts from Defesa Civil.
During
Close doors and windows.
Help children, older people, and anyone who has trouble walking.
Stay out of flood water. It can be dirty and make you sick.
Do not cross a flooded street on foot, by bike, or by car. The water can sweep you away.
Do not stop the car under trees or poles. They can fall, and poles can draw lightning.
If the ground starts to move, go somewhere safe, away from the slope.
After
Follow Defesa Civil. Do not trust posts you cannot check.
Wash and disinfect floors, walls, clothes, and household things the water touched. Wear gloves and boots, or double plastic bags on your hands and feet.
Scrape off the mud and take the trash out.
Throw away food and drinks that touched the flood water.
Do not drink water from springs or wells after a flood. It can be dirty.
Do not use electrical equipment that got wet.
Go back in daylight, and only when Defesa Civil says the area is safe.
For coastal flooding and king tides along the U.S. Gulf and East coasts. A king tide is an exceptionally high tide. Streets near the water can flood on a clear day, and rain on top of that tide makes it worse. The steps follow Ready.gov flood guidance.
Before
Find out if your street floods when the tide is very high or the rain is heavy. Water does not stop at a line on a map.
Sign up for local alerts. A weather radio can warn you too.
Make a family plan, including pets, and practice how you will leave.
Clear street drains and gutters so high water has a way out.
Move valuables up. Keep papers in a waterproof bag.
Pack food, water, and cleaning supplies for several days.
Home insurance usually does not pay for flood damage. Get flood coverage before a week of very high tides or a storm.
Ready.gov: a flood policy often takes up to 30 days to start.
During
If officials say leave, leave now. Do not drive around a barricade.
Do not walk or drive through flood water, even if it looks shallow. Turn around.
Ready.gov: six inches of moving water can knock you down. One foot of moving water can sweep a vehicle away.
Stay off bridges over fast-moving water.
If a very high tide is covering the street, wait on higher ground. Do not try to beat it in a car.
If you are trapped in a building, go up. Do not climb into a closed attic.
After
Go home only when officials say it is safe.
Do not touch wet electrical equipment. Turn the power off only if you can do it safely.
Stay out of flood water. It can hide debris and live wires.
For cleanup, wear gloves and boots. Use a mask if you clean mold. Children should not do this work.
Run a gas generator only outdoors, away from windows.
