El Niño & Winter Storm Preparedness

Published on November 12, 2026

Forecasters expect a very strong El Niño this winter, which raises the chance of heavy rain and powerful storms in Southern California. The City of Culver City is preparing now, and we ask residents and businesses to prepare with us. A few simple steps today can protect your family, your home, and your neighbors.

What is El Niño?

El Niño is a natural climate pattern in which ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific become warmer than normal. It shifts weather patterns around the world. A very strong El Niño is underway this year, and NOAA's 2026–27 Winter Outlook says wetter-than-average conditions are likely across the southern United States, including California. Learn more from NOAA's Winter Outlook and the National Weather Service's El Niño and La Niña information.

Forecasts describe likelihoods, not certainties, and not every storm will be severe. But one heavy storm is enough to cause flooding, mudslides, power outages and fallen trees, especially when heavy rain falls on dry ground. Preparing early can help keep you and your property safe. 

How the City is Preparing

Culver City departments are working together, and with neighboring cities and Los Angeles County, to get ready for the season.

• Public Works is inspecting and clearing storm drains and catch basins, checking pumps and drainage systems, monitoring locations that have flooded before, and staging equipment for storm response.
• Fire Department / Emergency Management is coordinating citywide storm planning, keeping sandbags stocked at Fire Station 1, preparing the Emergency Operations Center, and coordinating with neighboring cities and Los Angeles County through the Area A mutual aid network.
• Police Department is preparing for road closures, traffic control and evacuation support if needed.
• Parks, Recreation & Community Services is reviewing its shelter plans and supplies to be ready to support shelter operations if needed. Any shelter openings will be announced through CulverAlerts and on this page.

Before the Storm: Prepare Your Home and Family

Get Informed

• Sign up for CulverAlerts, the City's official emergency notification system. This is the main way Culver City will relay important emergency information to you.
• Follow the Culver City Fire Department on Facebook, Instagram, and X for local updates.
• Keep your phone charged and emergency alerts turned on, especially overnight.
• Find your evacuation zone using Genasys Protect – Know Your Zone. Evacuations during rain are rare in Culver City but possible, especially in hillside areas.
• Learn about the National Weather Service Flood Alert Levels:
  • Watch: hazardous weather is possible. Monitor updates and get ready.
  • Advisory: weather is occurring or likely and may cause significant inconvenience. Use caution.
  • Warning: dangerous weather is occurring or imminent and threatens life or property. Take action now.
• Check the forecast from the National Weather Service – Los Angeles.
• For additional countywide information, you can also sign up for Alert LA County and visit Ready LA County.
• Let neighbors, family and friends know when a big storm is coming, especially those who don't follow news or social media.

Protect Your Property

• Learn your flood risk on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center.
• Clean gutters, downspouts, drains, and drainage channels (V-ditches). Make sure water drains away from your home and slopes.
• Repair roof leaks and seal gaps around windows and doors.
• Test sump pumps, especially in subterranean garages and below-grade spaces.
• Get sandbags before heavy rain is forecast, and place them or permanent barriers at garage ramps, doorways, window wells and vents where water has entered before.
• Secure trash bins, patio furniture and other loose items, and have weakened trees checked by an arborist.
• If it is safe, help keep the storm drain on your street clear of leaves and trash. Report clogged drains you can't safely clear to Public Works.
• Keep household hazardous waste (paint, oil, chemicals) sealed and covered so it doesn't wash into storm drains.
• Hillside homes: cover the tops of exposed slopes with plastic sheeting and direct runoff to the street.
• Keep important documents in a waterproof container, and save password-protected digital copies.
• Look into flood insurance. Standard homeowners policies don't cover flood damage, and a new flood policy can take 30 days to take effect. Learn more at FloodSmart.

Get Your Household Ready

• Build or refresh your emergency kit using our Build a Kit page. Include food, water, medications, flashlights, batteries, a portable phone charger, a battery-powered radio, cash, and pet supplies.
• Make a family plan with an evacuation destination and route, a meeting place and an out-of-area contact. See Make a Plan.
• Check your car's tires, windshield wipers and headlights, and keep it fueled or charged.
• Know how to safely shut off your gas, water, and electricity, and lawn sprinklers.
• If you or someone in your home uses power-dependent medical equipment, have a backup power plan.
• Register your household in Culver City Community Connect. It is free and lets you share information with first responders, such as mobility needs, medical equipment or pets in the home.
• Check on neighbors, older adults, people with disabilities and others who may need assistance preparing for severe weather or recovering after a storm. Community preparedness helps improve safety and resilience for everyone.

Preparing Your Business 

Culver City businesses should prepare now for heavy rain, wind and power outages. A few steps today can protect your employees, customers and inventory, and help you reopen quickly.

• Inspect your property. Work with your property owner to check the roof, gutters, downspouts, drains, doors and windows, and fix any known leaks. Keep drains near your business clear, and report clogged catch basins or street flooding to Culver City Public Works at (310) 253-5635.
• Protect what water could damage. Move inventory, records, electronics and chemicals off the floor, especially in subterranean garages, basements and other low areas. Plan where sandbags or temporary barriers would go and keep exits clear.
• Store hazardous materials safely. If your business stores chemicals or other hazardous materials, keep containers sealed, off the floor and away from storm drains, and keep your Hazardous Materials Business Plan current. Questions: Culver City Fire Department, Community Risk Reduction Division, (310) 253-5925.
• Secure outdoor dining and displays. Before heavy rain or wind, secure or bring in umbrellas, furniture and signs, and take down detachable wind screens.
• Review your insurance. Ask your agent about flood damage and business interruption coverage before you need it. Many policies do not cover flooding, and flood policies often have a 30-day waiting period. Learn more at FloodSmart.
• Update your emergency and business continuity plan. Keep employee and vendor contacts current, back up important records and data, plan how you will operate during a power outage or street closure, and decide how you will reach employees and customers if operations are disrupted. Our Businesses Preparedness page walks you through a complete plan.
• Document conditions before and after a storm. Photograph your premises and valuable equipment now. If damage occurs, photograph it before cleanup, keep receipts, notify your property owner and insurer, and record the days and costs of any business interruption.
• Sign up for alerts. Register your business address in CulverAlerts, and encourage employees to sign up for alerts where they live and where they work.
• Get help from the City. Call the Culver City Business Hotline at (310) 253-5765 or Building Safety at (310) 253-5800 for storm-related building concerns.

For additional information:

• Ready LA County – Business Preparedness
• LA County – How Business Owners Can Prepare for Disasters
• LA County – Emergency Resources for Workers and Businesses (recovery help after a disaster)
• Ready.gov – Business

How to Use Sandbags

Free sandbags are available to Culver City residents at Fire Station 1, 9600 Culver Blvd. They are self-serve, located behind the fire station, and limited to 10 sandbags per household.

Tips:

• Fill bags about one-half to two-thirds full so they lie flat.
• Place them in a staggered row, like bricks, with the folded ends tucked under.
• Sandbags redirect shallow, moving water. They do not stop deep water and will not seal a building.

During the Storm

• Stay home if you can. Avoid non-essential travel.
• Turn Around, Don't Drown. Never walk or drive through moving water. As little as six inches of fast-moving water can knock you down. Never drive around barricades.
• Stay away from Ballona Creek and other flood control channels during and after rain. Water rises fast and without warning. Do not approach flood control channels to watch rising water.
• Do not enter flooded subterranean garages, basements, or building lobbies.
• If your car is trapped in fast-moving water, call 9-1-1 and follow emergency instructions. If water begins rising inside your vehicle, move to the roof of your vehicle if you can do so without entering dangerous currents.
• If water is rising around you, move to higher ground or the highest level of the building (avoid closed attics).
• Stay away from downed power lines and anything touching them, including water. Call 9-1-1.
• If you must drive: slow down, turn on headlights, leave extra distance and avoid hard braking.
• Hillside residents: watch for cracks, leaning trees or moving mud. If you see signs of slope movement, leave the area and call 9-1-1. For non-urgent cracks or slope concerns, contact Culver City Building Safety at (310) 253-5800.
• Evacuate immediately if informed to do so through CulverAlerts or Culver City police or fire personnel.
• Keep 9-1-1 lines open for emergencies. Report non-emergency storm problems to the numbers below.

Power Outages

• Report and track outages with Southern California Edison (800) 611-1911.
• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible during an outage. Turn them to a colder setting before the storm.
• Unplug sensitive electronics. Use flashlights, not candles.
• Never use a generator, grill, or camp stove indoors or in a garage. Carbon monoxide can kill.

After the Storm

• Return home only when officials say it is safe.
• Report clogged drains, potholes, fallen trees, and street flooding to Public Works.
• Do not touch electrical equipment that is wet or in standing water. Turn off electricity if it is safe to do so.
• Avoid wading in floodwater. It can be contaminated or charged by downed power lines.
• Wear heavy gloves and boots when cleaning up.
• Throw out any food that touched floodwater and follow official guidance on drinking water.
• Use flashlights, not candles or matches, to inspect damage.
• Take photos of any damage before cleanup for insurance claims.
• If you smell gas, leave right away and call 9-1-1 or SoCalGas at (800) 427-2200.

If You or Someone You Know Needs Shelter

If you see someone without shelter who needs help, contact Culver City Homeless Services at (310) 253-5770 during business hours or our Police Department at (310) 837-1221 outside of business hours. For life-threatening emergencies, call 9-1-1. If the City opens warming centers or emergency shelters  during a storm, locations and hours will be announced through CulverAlerts, City communication channels, and this webpage.

For additional information, 211 LA County (211la.org, or dial 2-1-1, 24/7) lists countywide shelters, warming centers and services, and LA County's Get Help page offers homeless services.

Important Phone Numbers

Additional Emergency Preparedness Resources

Culver City

• Build a Kit and Make a Plan
• Storms and Flooding
• Know Your Zone – Genasys Protect
• Culver City Community Connect

Los Angeles County

• Ready LA County – Rain, Flooding and Mudslides
• Alert LA County – countywide notifications
• LA County Emergency Survival Guide
• LA County Public Works – road closures
• 211 LA County

State and Federal Information

• National Weather Service – Los Angeles
• FEMA Flood Map Service Center and FloodSmart.gov
• Ready.gov – Floods
• SCE outage preparedness

Prepare today. Stay informed. Look out for your neighbors.

Page Last Updated: November 12, 2026