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# Malibu declares local emergency ahead of forecast strong El Niño
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/malibu-declares-local-emergency-ahead-of-forecast-strong-el-nino/
- Published: 2026-10-09T18:59:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-09T18:58:59.000Z
- Author: Maaz Alin
- Tags: Government & Politics, Malibu

The Malibu City Council has declared a citywide local emergency because of the threat of extreme weather associated with the strong El Niño forecast for 2026-27.

The council approved the declaration Sept. 28, citing the risk of flooding, mudslides, landslides, debris flows, coastal erosion and coastal flooding.

"Malibu has experienced the serious impacts of powerful storms, including during El Niño years before, so we know how serious they are," Mayor Bruce Silverstein said. "El Niño's impacts are already being felt. We are taking action now to be prepared so we can keep our community safe."

The declaration is a preventive measure based on threatened conditions of extreme peril, according to the city. It gives the city greater flexibility to respond without delay, coordinate with local, county, state and federal agencies, and obtain the resources needed to prepare for, mitigate and respond to emergency conditions.

The National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center issued an advisory Sept. 10 stating that El Niño is strengthening. The advisory gave a more than 90% chance of a very strong event during fall and winter 2026-27\. It also gave a 75% chance of a historic event exceeding the strength of previous El Niño events dating back to 1950.

The city's declaration notes that while the precise impacts cannot yet be known, such conditions are historically associated with increased risks of intense rainstorms, flooding, mudslides, landslides, coastal erosion and coastal flooding.

The declaration authorizes the city's director of emergency services to address impacts and conditions caused by the emergency and to obtain assistance from local, county, state and federal agencies.

The declaration will remain in effect until the City Council ends it. The council is required to review the need to continue the declaration at least every 60 days.

The city has been preparing for the 2026-27 storm season since early summer. It will continue monitoring weather forecasts and conditions, coordinating with partner agencies and taking steps to protect public safety and critical infrastructure.

For more information, visit the city's El Niño preparedness webpage at[ ](https://www.malibucity.org/ElNino?ref=smdp.com)[MalibuCity.org/ElNino](https://www.malibucity.org/ElNino?ref=smdp.com).

Edited by SMDP Staff