Oceanside declares emergency to prepare for 'historic' El Niño

Phil Diehl, The San Diego Union-Tribune on Oct 20, 2026

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SAN DIEGO — Oceanside’s city manager has proclaimed a local emergency to help smooth the way for a response to the “historic” El Niño conditions expected this fall and winter.

The aging Oceanside Municipal Pier, the sediment-loaded San Luis Rey River and critical city infrastructure such as sewer lines and lift stations could be in danger during a powerful storm season, City Manager Jonathan Borrego said in a report to the Oceanside City Council. He issued the proclamation Oct. 14, and the City Council is expected to ratify it at its meeting Wednesday.

“Proclaiming a local emergency in advance of the anticipated El Nino storm season allows us to take immediate action towards preparing and hardening the City’s infrastructure in a proactive manner, thereby minimizing risk exposure once the rainy season begins,” Borrego said in an email Monday.

Sediment accumulation and the growth of vegetation that impede the flow of water in Buena Vista Creek and the Buena Vista Lagoon also are a concern, Borrego said in his report to the City Council. The creek flows along state Route 78, which floods frequently at the El Camino Real crossing during storms.

“Existing conditions … have the potential to worsen during major storm activity and represent an extreme risk to persons and property,” states Borrego’s report to the City Council. “The local emergency allows the City to address current vulnerabilities before they escalate, coordinate preparedness activities, and respond promptly as conditions develop.”

The periodic weather phenomenon known as El Nino has “a greater than 90 percent chance of a very strong event and 69 percent chance of reaching historic strength” this year, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center.

Coastal cities up and down California have already seen extensive shoreline erosion this fall. Carlsbad declared a local emergency in September to extend a rock revetment below a seaside bluff that threated to undermine Highway 101, also known there as Carlsbad Boulevard, just south of Palomar Airport Road.

Earlier this month, the Oceanside City Council allocated $8.7 million for a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project to remove sediment from the San Luis Rey Flood Protection Project this month. Along with federal grant money, a total of $34.7 million is available for the work, which is intended to improve the river’s capacity to carry stormwater without overflowing its banks.

“Additionally, maintaining reliable emergency access to the wastewater lift station and sewer transmission main near Buena Vista Creek remains a critical concern,” states the report to the City Council.

“These and other existing infrastructure vulnerabilities could be exacerbated by elevated water flows, debris accumulation, and significant storm activity associated with the anticipated El Niño season,” the report states.

Specific responses and recovery costs have not yet been determined, Borrego said. Financial assistance could be available under the California Disaster Assistance Act, which may reimburse up to 75 percent of the city’s eligible costs and activities.