Sutter County officials are implementing a series of proactive measures to prepare for the anticipated El Niño winter, despite the unpredictable nature of its local impact. These preparations include extensive staff training, ongoing inter-agency coordination, and infrastructure maintenance aimed at safeguarding residents and property across Yuba City, Marysville, and the wider county.
Zachary Hamill, the county’s emergency operations manager, indicated that while a “very strong El Niño” is projected, its specific effects on Sutter County remain uncertain. Historically, of six strong El Niño events since 1950, two brought dry winters, two were normal, and two were very wet. Hamill noted that "a very strong El Niño doesn't mean a whole lot to us" in terms of a predictable outcome for the region, contrasting with Southern California, where five of six such events resulted in very wet conditions. However, the National Weather Service forecasts warmer and wetter-than-normal conditions for January and February this winter, drawing comparisons from some officials to the 1997 winter, which saw flooding in Meridian.
To bolster readiness, the county has been re-educating staff on emergency operations procedures, conducting two training exercises this past month, with additional flood-focused drills scheduled for December. Hamill emphasized these exercises ensure staff are familiar and up to date with what’s going on and having some hands-on experience. Furthermore, the county attends annual preseason flood coordination workshops hosted by the Department of Water Resources (DWR) from October through November, which also involve levee and reclamation districts.
Constant communication is maintained between the county's emergency management department and DWR, utilizing the California Nevada River Forecast Center. This center provides daily monitoring of several forecast points along the Feather, Yuba, Bear, and Sacramento Rivers, with monitoring increasing to four times a day during significant rain events or atmospheric rivers. Emergency management staff are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and additional “decision makers” are brought in to coordinate further resources during higher emergency levels. In severe situations, the Emergency Operations Center in Sutter would activate, gathering 20 to 30 people to manage shelters, public information, and field resources, which would likely include evacuations and damage assessments to infrastructure.
Neal Hay, the county’s director of development services, recalled the last El Niño in 2023-2024, which primarily caused roadside flooding leading to closures and detours. He warned that some online navigation services might direct drivers onto flooded roads, particularly between Placer County and Sutter County, as drainage from Placer County often flows into Sutter County and then the Sacramento River. To combat this, county road crews have been clearing sediment from ditches in the southeast part of the county and near East Nic, an area prone to regular flooding. Hay also mentioned they sometimes clear driveway pipes as a courtesy while maintaining the broader drainage network. County Administrator Steve Smith confirmed the ongoing ditch-clearing efforts.
Sutter County's relatively flat topography contributes to slow drainage, making preparation critical. Officials report that about 15 roads experience annual flooding issues, tracked by the roads department as “hot spots” in areas such as northwest and west of Live Oak, the Nicolaus area, and between Sutter and Meridian. Some older homes in these areas, built below county road level, are susceptible to garage flooding. Hay cautioned that despite barricades placed across flooded roads, people sometimes disregard them, tragically resulting in drownings “every year.”
To assist residents, Sutter County provides sandbags annually. Information on sandbag locations is available on the county website, sutter.gov. Residents can pick up to 25 sandbags, bringing their own shovels to fill them with provided sand.
During an emergency, residents will receive alerts through social media, news media, and an alert and warning system sending notifications to cell phones, home phones, emails, and text messages. Automatic wireless emergency alerts are also broadcast on cell phones, television, and radios. The county can access home landline phone numbers for emergency notifications during floods. Residents can sign up for alerts at bepreparedsutter.org to stay informed.
