Faced with the 2023-24 winter season that is about to begin, state and federal officials called on us to prepare since the meteorological phenomenon The boycould bring heavy snow and rain to California with flooding, mudslides, cold temperatures and power outages.
During the video conference: Storm Season Safety: Getting ahead of extreme winter weather, organized by ethnic Media Services In partnership with Listos California from the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), several officials spoke about the dangers that the storm season will bring and provided information and tips to the most vulnerable communities.
In 2022-23, California experienced more than a dozen atmospheric rivers, impacting nearly every community in the state, and a 75-85% chance of a strong El Niño event is forecast to develop during the 2023-24 rainy season.
Available resources
Diana Crofts-Pelayo, Emergency Services spokesperson for the California Governor’s Office, said whether it’s El Niño or not, the weather is fickle, so the first thing we need to do is sign up for the alert system: california.org/alerts, plus local alerts for each city and county.
“If there is a flood, snowfall or strong winds, your local government will send a message to your phone either by text or a call to warn you of possible danger.”
He said that in addition to that, it’s really important to make a family emergency plan and have conversations with loved ones about potentially evacuating the home.
“They have to talk about important things, like what they need to put in a box like food, water, medicine, documents to take it with them, if they have to leave the house quickly.”
And finally during an emergency, he said they should not forget to check on friends, neighbors and family.
“Ask them if they signed up for alerts and if they have a family plan.”
For more information visit: ListosCalifornia.org.
What is The Child?
Bianca Feldkircher, National Weather Service meteorologist for the west of the country, explained that climatologists call El NIño, the weakening of the trade winds that cause warm surface water to move eastward and reduce water upwelling. cold off the coast of South America.
Eventually those winds strengthen again and sometimes become stronger than normal.
“When that happens, it returns warm water to the western Pacific and then restarts the upwelling of cold water to the surface in the eastern Pacific.”
He recalled that at the beginning of the 19th century, The boy It was observed for the first time by Peruvian fishermen.
“Since it typically peaks around Christmas time, and was noticeable in fluctuations in what the fish were doing, fishermen ended up calling the phenomenon Childin reference to the fact that this was happening at Christmas time and to the Baby Jesus.”
When we have warm waters, more storms than usual are created in the Pacific.
“These storms have the power to send air and moisture into the atmosphere, changing the location of the jet stream and sending moisture around the world.”
The importance of reviewing policies
Jazmín Ortega, spokesperson for the California Department of Insurance, said it is very important for consumers to make sure they can access their policies digitally if they have to leave their home.
“We ask people to review their policies so they are aware of their protections and exclusions in the event of an emergency, and make sure they file the appropriate claim.”
He said it’s also a good time for consumers to digitally inventory their valuables around the house and take photos.
“We want people to be prepared with a plan. For further questions you can call 1-800-927-4357 or write to online@insurance.ca.gov to request assistance.
“Generally a homeowner’s policy does not cover landslides or debris flows, it protects things like falling or damaging the roof due to winds. That is why it is important to review the policy.”
For that reason, they encourage people to access the National Flood Insurance Program through FEMA, since less than 2% of Californians have that type of insurance.
“It is important to have flood coverage for your home and vehicles because standard insurance does not cover flooding.”
Alf LaMont, president and digital strategist of the LaMont Digital agency, said that one of the great successes of California emergency preparedness and response has been positioning resources prior to the event.
“In anticipation of what may come with The boy and potential storms, we have created a toolkit with useful information, videos and graphics that can be used on social media.”
He even mentioned that they have some holiday content to encourage preparations to be made during this season.