Merced Officials Step Up Creek Work and Evacuation Planning Ahead of Strong El Niño Winter

Merced city and county officials are organizing emergency coordination, public outreach and creek cleanup as the region braces for a strong El Niño season, more than three years after powerful storms displaced thousands of residents.

Both the city and the county have declared a state of emergency to boost preparedness. The moves followed an announcement by Gov. Gavin Newsom near the end of September of a similar statewide proclamation. They also came after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast a greater than 83% chance of a strong El Niño, which could potentially be historic. Such conditions could bring intense rain or flooding from January to March.

Merced City Council members unanimously approved their emergency proclamation earlier this month. City Attorney Craig Cornwell said it allows the city to expand maintenance along Bear Creek. City Manager Scott McBride said the action is about "giving us the tools to take on the other creek areas," noting the city may need to contract with service providers and obtain materials.

Work is already under way elsewhere in the county. Lindsey Johnson, Merced County assistant director of public works, said an on-call waterway contractor is clearing debris from Miles Creek in Planada. She told the Board of Supervisors that clearing near Crocker Dam on Bear Creek began in early October. Separately, through the efforts of Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria, the state awarded the city of Merced $5 million for creek repairs and storm drainage upgrades.

Flooding remains a worry for many residents. In January 2023, a breached levee swamped Planada, and floodwaters in Merced topped the banks of Bear Creek, flooding homes in several neighborhoods. President Joe Biden declared a major disaster in Merced County. No lives were lost, but many homes, along with Planada's elementary school and community center, suffered catastrophic damage. Many of the town's 4,000 residents organized their own cleanup and response before government aid arrived.

County officials are also focusing on communication. They are preparing messages in multiple languages for schools and districts, working with emergency services, public works and community organizations. "This doesn't mean we're going to have significant flooding or significant rain," said Adam Amaral, the county's emergency services manager. "No agency fights a flood alone." If an evacuation is ordered, emergency alerts will go to every phone in the county, focused on the affected areas.

The county formed a task force three months ago to address road infrastructure, drains, culverts and creeks, and CEO Mark Hendrickson said monthly public updates will follow. Sheriff Vernon Warnke said all of his agency's equipment is "up and running and ready to go at a moment's notice."

Some residents want more information. Alicia Rodriguez, a Planada resident for 40 years who helped advocate for flood relief funding in 2023, said some families are only now receiving reimbursement checks. She said officials need not give specific dates for creek cleanups but should assure residents the work will happen so they can be patient.

Amaral urged residents to clear debris from drainage areas near their homes, review emergency plans, identify evacuation routes, gather supplies and stay connected to official information. Residents can register for free with the county's emergency alert system, recently renamed MCALERTS; those already signed up need not re-register. Texting a ZIP code to 888-777 provides notifications about incidents in a given area.