Councilmember David Alvarez

City of San Diego

STATEMENT
For Immediate Release
October 7, 2015

Contact: Lisa Schmidt 619-210-9499

lmschmidt@sandiego.gov

Councilmember Alvarez Urges City to Prepare for El Nio

Winter Storms
SAN DIEGO, CA (October 7, 2015) - Environment Committee Chair David Alvarez today urged
the City to consider declaring a State of Emergency for badly maintained channels. Alvarez
urged City departments to immediately begin work to clear high risk flood areas that could
severely impact San Diegans.
The City must be prepared to protect residents and businesses that are at risk for extreme
flooding, said Alvarez. Acting now to perform channel maintenance in areas that typically
flood is critical to ensuring the safety of our communities and avoiding the devastation we
have seen in other areas of the country that have been hit hard by storms and flooding.
Alvarez also requested that a hotline be made available at all hours during storms for the
public to receive up-to-date information.
The Environment Committee received an update from Professor Daniel Cayan of Scripps
Institute of Oceanography. Scripps researchers have concluded that there is a 95% chance
of El Nino conditions continuing through this coming winter. Researchers are confident
that Southern California will see El Nio conditions this winter. I intend to work closely with
City departments to ensure we are prepared and ready when the winter storms hit,
concluded Alvarez.
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Alvarez is the Councilmember for the Eighth Council District of the City of San Diego, which includes the communities of
Barrio Logan, Egger Highlands, Grant Hill, Logan Heights, Memorial, Nestor, Ocean View Hills, Otay Mesa, San Ysidro,
Sherman Heights, Stockton and the Tijuana River Valley. He is currently the chair of the Committee on the Environment.