Rule No. 1 for El Niño - Be Prepared
January 4, 2016 |
Winter is here, so is El Niño, and the San Diego Community College District is as prepared as can be.
The district’s Facilities Management Department has been making roof repairs, checking storm drains, and looking for potential trouble spots as it readies for what some meteorologists are calling a potential Godzilla El Niño.
“The whole goal is to be pro-active,” said Christopher Manis, the district’s Vice Chancellor of Facilities Management.
El Niño conditions typically occur every three to seven years, and they are marked by the unusual warming of the sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean. An El Niño episode can pull the normal jet stream from the Pacific Northwest and pull it south across Southern California for much of the winter and spring; past El Niño conditions have resulted in record rainfall, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration this fall forecast among the strongest El Niño on record.
During a storm, the public can access rainfall and road updates from the San Diego County of Public Works. In addition, Ready San Diego has posted a number of measures that residents can take before and during a flood or other weather events – along with links to various resources – on its website.