DATE: October 21, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: City Manager's Office
TITLE: RESOLUTION RATIFYING THE EMERGENCY SERVICES DIRECTOR’S PROCLAMATION DECLARING THE EXISTENCE OF A LOCAL EMERGENCY IN ANTICIPATION OF THE 2026-2027 EL NIÑO SEASON AND PRESENTATION BY STAFF
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution ratifying a Proclamation of a Local Emergency by the Director of Emergency Services due to the threat of severe weather and flooding hazards resulting from the 2026-2027 El Niño Event and receive a presentation regarding ongoing El Niño preparedness.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
The City of Oceanside is preparing for the anticipated 2026-2027 El Niño season. As stated in the proclamation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center reported on August 31, 2026 that the El Niño event was strengthening, with a greater than 90 percent chance of a very strong event and 69 percent chance of reaching historic strength during the winter season. The proclamation further references the Governor’s September 21, 2026 state emergency proclamation and the September 30, 2026 San Diego County emergency proclamation. These circumstances, together with recent tropical storm surges and tidal events, underscore the need for a coordinated local emergency preparedness and response.
On October 14, 2026, the City Manager, acting as the Director of Emergency Services, signed a proclamation declaring the existence of a local emergency related to the 2026-2027 El Niño season. Pursuant to City Ordinance No. 73-22, the City Council must ratify the proclamation within seven (7) days or it will cease to have force or effect. Council consideration on October 21, 2026 fall within that period.
The proclamation recognizes existing conditions that have the potential to worsen during major storm activity and represent an extreme risk to persons and property. The local emergency allows...
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