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El Niño Home Prep for Southern California
Drains, roof, trees, sandbags and flood insurance to sort out before the winter rains.
A real, editable checklist below — tick, tap a line to rewrite, drag to reorder.
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Clear the gutters and drains. Every source here repeats it. One plastic trash bag can block a storm drain and flood a street, the Granada Hills North Neighborhood Council warns, so keep the one outside your house clear too. The list then covers the roof, the trees, sandbags, and a flood policy, which FEMA says takes 30 days to start in most cases. The guidance here comes from Southern California sources, so check sandbag sites, alerts and your slope or burn-scar risk with your own county or city. The Bay Area and the rest of Northern California are not covered here. The list leaves out recovery after the storm.
Why these items are on the list
- Clear gutters and downspouts. Make sure each downspout discharges away from the foundation, where roof water would collect.
- Clear yard and street drains. Clear litter, silt and leaves from grates and basins; one plastic bag can block a storm drain.
- Keep side swales clear. County guidance: keep the flow line at least 24 inches from the wall; patios or decks over side swales with no other drainage can cause ponding.
- Uncover stucco weep screed. Pull soil, mulch and planters back from the base of the wall; buried, it traps water in the wall.
- Clear hillside terrace drains. Clear terrace and bench drains of debris and growth; blocked ones erode slopes.
- Inspect roof shingles and flashing. Look for cracked, slipped or missing shingles and worn flashing at chimneys, vents and wall joints.
- Fix poorly draining or leaky roofs. Leaks that go unnoticed in a dry year show up in a wet one.
- Remove dead or weak branches. Have them taken down from over the roof and power lines; storms bring weak limbs down.
- Request tree trimming near power lines. Submit a request for dead or dying trees leaning into overhead power lines.
- Keep sandbags on hand. Use them to divert water and debris away from the house, not to dam it.
- Fill sandbags about half full. County guidance: fold the top down and lay the folded end uphill so running water can't open it.
- Leave yourself a way out. When building any barrier, keep a route out of the house.
- Review flood insurance. Homeowners and flood policies are separate; FEMA says a new flood policy usually starts after 30 days.
- Check slope and burn-scar risk. The County guide says debris flows are most severe in areas stripped of vegetation by recent fire.
- Call 811 before digging. Wise Choice Remodeling says to call at least two to three working days ahead so underground utilities are marked.
- Register for emergency alerts. Sign up with your own county or city; Los Angeles's system sends text, voicemail or email.
- Pack a preparedness kit. Flashlights, batteries, cash and first aid supplies; add food, water and extra medications.
- Use flashlights, not candles. Candles pose a high fire risk during an outage.
- Secure trash and loose items. Secure anything that can blow or float away.
- Never drive through floodwater. Granada Hills North Neighborhood Council: 6 inches of moving water can knock you down or stall a car.
- Stay away from downed wires. Assume a downed wire is energized, and call 911 immediately.
Work through it one area of the house at a time.
When to use it
Use it in autumn, before the winter rains begin and while the ground is still dry.