14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY DECEMBER 14-20, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com Forecasters keeping an eye on surface temperatures of the Southern Pacific Ocean earlier this year watched as those temps kept rising in the Eastern Pacific off the coasts of Ecuador and Peru—some were the highest ever recorded. Those record highs mean we are officially in an El Niño weather pattern, with a 95-percent chance it will last through next spring, and a 66-percent chance that it will be a “strong” pattern, according to one report. Just because we’re in an El Niño pattern does not automatically mean we’ll have a wetter winter, but it was enough to prompt the California Coastal Commission to issue a memo on Aug. 30 recommending that jurisdictions and property owners along the coast prepare for the worst, just in case. So far cities, PG&E and others are taking the warning seriously, especially in light of last winter’s storms that saw hundreds of trees toppled, and multiple power outages (see story, p. 22). PG&E has been stockpiling power poles, power lines, transformers and other equipment at locations around the Monterey Peninsula, says spokesperson Stephanie Magallon. Should the region be heavily impacted by weather, PG&E’s local emergency operations centers will be activated to allocate crews and equipment as quickly as possible. In Carmel, which saw numerous fallen trees last winter and experienced multiple power outages, some lasting for many days, city workers and contractors hired by the city have made storm preparation a priority, says City Administrator Chip Rerig. “We spent much of the spring and summer removing the broken trees and debris,” he says. “We really hit it like a bomb, the damage that was done [last winter].” Pacific Grove Public Works Director Dan Gho says his crews have been focusing on pruning trees in areas of the city they haven’t worked on in recent years, including the Beach Tract area, where large cypress trees are predominant. They spent the two weeks before the first rains in November clearing out storm drains. Monterey prepared by ensuring pumps in the Lighthouse Avenue tunnel are working, as well as a pump at Lake El Estero, says City Manager Hans Uslar. There’s also a new system in place to monitor the lake level remotely. A sand berm next to Wharf II has been constructed on Del Monte Beach and a contract tree crew is on standby. “We are prepared,” Uslar says. Officials are encouraging residents to prepare themselves ahead of storms, and to take precautions in the days after a storm hits. Visit the Ready Monterey County page at bit.ly/readymoco, where you can sign up for emergency alerts and find information on what to do in case of a severe storm. So far this season the weather has been “on the dry side,” says National Weather Service meteorologist Roger Gass. “We’re going into a wetter pattern over the next couple of weeks, but it doesn’t necessarily mean a wetter winter.” Long Winter Local cities and PG&E are already preparing for possible El Niño weather coming our way. By Pam Marino A Seaside resident fills a sandbag in winter of 2022-23. Cities and the County provide sandbags to residents ahead of large storms. In Monterey, all fire stations have sandbag filling stations. NEWS “We really hit it like a bomb.” DANIEL DREIFUSS The Military Lounge will be available to active duty U.S. military traveling on orders or for personal reasons during the December holiday traveling season. The Lounge will be provided as a courtesy of the airport. Overnight accommodations will not be available. MontereyAirport.com ADMINISTRATION OFFICE SECOND FLOOR OF TERMINAL BUILDING Complimentary meals, snacks, beverages, comfortable seating and wi-fi available for active duty flyers and travel companions. THE MONTEREY REGIONAL AIRPORT WELCOMES OUR MILITARY TRAVELERS HOLIDAY MILITARY LOUNGE DECEMBER 18-25, 2023 4:00AM - LAST FLIGHT THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE
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