Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency on Sept. 21 in preparation for the coming El Niño season, directing state agencies to stage flood-fighting supplies, pre-position equipment, protect infrastructure and expand multilingual preparedness outreach. The California National Guard will assist with emergency response. No dollar figure was attached to the effort at the time of the announcement, according to Brian Ferguson of Cal OES.
State officials put the odds of a very strong event this fall and winter above 90%, with a 75% chance it reaches historic strength. Laura Hollander of the Department of Water Resources said during a Sept. 21 briefing that Southern California in particular can expect increased storms, with coastal erosion following the strongest of them and large waves of particular concern in November and December. Cal OES Director Caroline Thomas Jacobs said storms are among the deadliest disasters the state faces.
Officials pointed to the surf generated by Hurricane Marie earlier in September as an early indication of the pattern’s strength. A study published in the journal Science in August found El Niño events are now more than 36% stronger than in the pre-industrial period, a trend the authors report as accelerating over the past four decades.
The proclamation covers flood risk, infrastructure and public safety. It says nothing specific about agriculture, and no state agency has issued planting, harvest or crop-loss guidance tied to it as of this writing.
Winter is the growing season across much of the region’s vegetable ground. County listings for Ventura and San Diego show who is farming it, the producer directory covers all ten counties, and the markets directory lists where that produce is sold.
Why this matters for SoCal: Winter is the growing season across much of the region’s vegetable ground, and a historically strong El Niño means field access, harvest timing and the price of local produce between November and March are all in play.
Source: Newsom declares state of emergency in preparation for El Niño season — KPBS / City News Service, Sept. 21, 2026