Lamorinda residents in flood- and landslide-prone areas face a heightened winter threat after Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for California on Monday, Sept. 21. The order activates the National Guard and fast-tracks infrastructure work ahead of what forecasters call a potentially record-breaking El Niño.

The 1997-98 El Niño caused roughly $27 million in landslide damage across Contra Costa County, the county's share of $150 million in landslide damage across the 10-county Bay Area, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, as Richmondside reported. Federal forecasters put the chance of a "very strong" El Niño at 98% for the three-month period ending in December, according to the Los Angeles Times. The governor's office said there is a 75% chance the event reaches historic strength.

"This is not about fear, it's about readiness," Cal OES Director Caroline Thomas Jacobs told ABC7 on Sept. 22. "It could become the strongest El Niño on record, so the concern is real."

Under the proclamation, state agencies must lead flood-risk-reduction efforts and pre-position sandbags, pumps and other equipment. The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has already staged 4.4 million sandbags at 68 locations in eight warehouses statewide, DWR Director Thomas Gibson said. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will stage traffic-control, road-closure and snow-removal equipment along the highways considered most at risk.

The California National Guard has high-water rescue vehicles, helicopters and search-and-rescue teams ready to deploy. State environmental agencies will fast-track permitting for projects that reduce flood and landslide risk. Cal OES will also expand multilingual public messaging on flooding, evacuations, emergency alerts and power outages.

Climate scientist Daniel Swain told Richmondside the 2026-27 event "is really going to profoundly affect California for the next six to 12 months." The outlet's own analysis found this El Niño will likely surpass the "Godzilla" event of 2015-16.

The Moraga-Orinda Fire District (MOFD) serves as the primary fire and emergency response agency for Orinda and Moraga. No MOFD statement addressing the declaration has been released as of publication.

Lamorinda's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program was scheduled to begin its fall basic training class series Sept. 15 at the Lafayette Community Center, according to the Moraga Orinda Firewise Network. The program has graduated more than 1,000 volunteers. Residents can register for future CERT sessions at classes.lamorindacert.org.

Contra Costa County residents can sign up for emergency alerts through the Community Warning System.