County Strategizes for Potential El Niño Season

**Please see helpful preparedness links from the Marin County Office of Emergency Management, AlertMarin, ReadyMarin and Fire Safe Marin**

County Strategizes for Potential El Niño Season

Marin County, CA -Posted on August 17, 2026– With meteorologists preparing for El Niño conditions in the Pacific region this fall and winter, the County of Marin is ramping up public awareness. 

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an El Niño pattern is when Pacific trade winds weaken and warm water is pushed toward the west coast of the Americas. The result can be significantly wetter and more extreme weather in California.

During a recent town hall hosted by state Senator Mike McGuire, Dr. Sophia Merrifield of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography explained that the combination of El Niño and the timing of king tides could result in “likely the highest sea levels ever recorded on the California coast associated with this event.” While forecasters continue to refine the weather outlook, they emphasize that an El Niño is not a guarantee of single severe weather event. Rather, it increases the potential for conditions that can contribute to flooding and other impacts when combined with atmospheric rivers, king tides, high winds, saturated soils, and storm surge.

“The most important message for the community is simple: Preparedness is a shared and essential responsibility. Don’t wait for the first atmospheric river to think about your disaster readiness,” said OEM Director Steven Torrence. “We can’t predict how this winter will unfold, but we can prepare for the wide range of possibilities.”

The County and regional partners are already planning, coordinating, and training, so Marin is as ready as possible if conditions deteriorate. The public is encouraged to do the same, prepare by taking a few simple steps now, while we are enjoying the summer weather.

Residents are encouraged to:

• Sign up for AlertMarin, the County’s primary emergency alerting system.
• Review family emergency plans.
• Assemble or refresh emergency supply kits.
• Prepare your home and businesses by clearing gutters, drains, trimming vegetation, servicing pumps, etc.

The most concerning El Niño impacts often occur when multiple hazards happen simultaneously, such as a king tide event coinciding with heavy rainfall, a storm surge, and strong winds. Marin County has many miles of roads adjacent to San Francisco Bay, the Pacific Ocean, and other waterways that could be underwater and impassible in the worst conditions.

Preparedness Resources:

Tiburon Fire and the Marin County Office of Emergency Management strongly encourage all residents of Marin County to sign up for AlertMarin 

https://emergency.marincounty.gov/sign-alertmarin

Office of Emergency Management - Public Emergency Portal - https://emergency.marincounty.gov/

Marin public information map * Sign up for AlertMarin * See the latest alerts * Find emergency sandbags * Significant advisories and warnings * Road closures * Emergency Shelters * Impacts to County services * Evacuation status meanings * 

Flooding:

https://readymarin.marincounty.gov/plan-prepare/prepare-specific-hazards/flooding

Make a Plan:

https://readymarin.marincounty.gov/plan-prepare/make-plan

Gathering Supplies:

https://readymarin.marincounty.gov/plan-prepare/gather-supplies

Resources:

https://readymarin.marincounty.gov/resources

SANDBAG INFO:

Tiburon residents - Self-serve sandbag filling stations are available at:

·      Beach @ Marsh Rd. behind CVS by tennis courts

·      Blackie’s Pasture gravel parking lot

Belvedere residents - There are marked wooden sandbag stations at:

·      Community Rd. @ City Hall

·      Lagoon Rd. @ Maybridge Rd.

·      West Shore Rd. across from 71-73 Westshore Rd.

FOR PURCHASE:

• Shamrock Materials (415) 455-1575, 548 DuBois St, San Rafael
• Have bags – ready-made
• Martin Brothers (415)388-2025, 232 Shoreline Hwy, Mill Valley
• Have bags – empty and full
•  Goodman’s, (415) 388-6233, 775 Redwood Hwy., Mill Valley
• Have bags – empty and full
• Water Components, (415) 451-1780, 44 Simms, SR (near Marin Sanitary)
• Have bags – empty and full

IF YOU SHOULD HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS REGARDING SANDBAGS IN BELVEDERE OR TIBURON, PLEASE CONTACT Belvedere Dept. of Public Works – 415-435-3838 or Tiburon Dept. of Public Works – 415-435-7399

Wildfire preparedness on the peninsula

Current Operational Readiness: 

Even when battling fires all over the state, the Tiburon Fire Protection District, along with our partnering agencies, remain fully staffed locally and are prepared to address calls for service. We hope the following will address some of the most commonly asked questions.

Water Supply/ Hydrants: 

Following the Loma Prieta earthquake (1989) and the Oakland Hills fire (1991) a coalition of representatives from County, Cities, Towns and Districts convened to make immediate recommendations which resulted in two hallmark programs, Fire Flow Master Plan and Fire Flow Improvement Plan, have been stewarded by Marin Water District, supported by a voter approved initiative in 1996, and renewed in 2012. Funds are used to ensure the integrity of the water transmission system following an earthquake and to provide adequate fire flow to deliver large amounts in major fires. We have greatly enhanced our domestic and fire flow system throughout the county with upgraded and increased storage capacity, new larger mains, additional hydrants and pumps and backup power. Our hydrants are visited twice a year for operational readiness and routine maintenance. If you have a hydrant on your property, please feel free to clear any adjacent vegetation or debris between our visits. 

Preparedness: 

Personal preparedness involves registering online with AlertMarin, https://emergency.marincounty.gov/pages/alertmarin, creating an evacuation plan, having a “go bag” containing essential supplies, medications, preparing to evacuate with pets, assisting neighbors with mobility challenges and being ready for safe evacuation if necessary.

Evacuation: 

When firefighters and paramedics are responding and heading into the emergency, your local Police Department will be helping you to evacuate away from the danger. Any questions regarding evacuation planning, including zones/maps and evacuation signs, should be directed to the local Police Departments. https://www.townoftiburon.org/537/Police-Department and https://www.cityofbelvedere.org/departments/police/

Prevention Information: 

Home hardening is essential to protect buildings from igniting during wildfires. By resisting ember ignition through proper vent installation, removing combustible materials and creating defensible space, sealing openings, enclosing soffits and correctly installed gutters with guards, homes can better withstand wildfires. This is why we conduct annual Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) inspections and will do a Defensible Space inspection for anyone outside the WUI that requests it in our jurisdiction. For inspection requests, please email vegetation@tiburonfire.org.

Please take the time to learn about defensible space, home hardening and vegetation management – firesafemarin.org  & https://www.tiburonfire.org/defensible-space/  Also, remember to take advantage of our Chipper Days conducted on the second Saturday of the month, May-September at Blackie’s Pasture. For more information: https://www.tiburonfire.org/chipper-vegetation-removal-days/

To print the above information: wildfire preparedness on the peninsula_Jan. 2025

Local Responsibility Area (LRA) Fire Hazard Severity Map info:

Local Responsibility Area (LRA) Fire Hazard Severity Map & TFPD General InfoThe California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) released an updated Local Responsibility Area (LRA) Fire Hazard Severity Map on February 24, 2025, identifying areas in the Tiburon Fire District’s coverage zones as Moderate Fire Hazard Zones. You will notice on the proposed map, Angel Island State Park as Very High Fire Hazard Zone. LRA maps help communities understand wildfire risk and informs future building and safety regulations.

The District cannot downgrade the severity zones identified by CalFire. Jurisdictions and agencies can upgrade severity classifications based on local conditions and risk assessments.  

TFD Proposed LRA MapLRA_FHSZ_Rollout_Plan_mapLRA-Legislation-Factsheet 

TFPD Residents Comment Form

For More Info:

CalFire Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map Viewer

CalFire Fire Hazard Information