Mendocino County Board of Supervisors warned that the county may not be ready for El Niño

MENDOCINO CO., 10/6/26 — Mendocino County wants to clear flood-prone creeks before this winter’s El Niño storms. On Tuesday, county staff told the Board of Supervisors that one creek could take up to 18 months and about $1 million just to permit.

Although Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a statewide El Niño emergency Sept. 21, the declaration carries no funding to address the issue, Travis Kilmer, the county’s chief recovery resiliency officer, told the board. “The state was very clear with us,” he said. “There are no funds we can tap into through that at this point.”