As Yolo County gets ready before it rains, residents can prepare, too. Photo by Sandid at Pixabay

WOODLAND, CA (MPG) – Yolo County is preparing for winter weather and encouraging residents to take steps now to prepare their homes, households and property before storms arrive.

The county’s Ready Before It Rains campaign brings together information about how Yolo County is preparing for the 2026–27 winter season and provides residents with tools they can use to prepare as well. Find preparedness information and resources at YoloCounty.gov/rain.

County departments and emergency partners are preparing now for the winter season. Yolo County Public Works crews have spent recent months cleaning key roadside ditches to help water move away from county roads. The Office of Emergency Services is coordinating with local, regional and state partners on flood preparedness, emergency resources and public warning systems.

On Sept. 29, Yolo County hosted a preseason flood coordination workshop that brought together local agencies and state and federal partners to review flood risks, available resources and response coordination.

As Yolo County gets ready before it rains, residents can prepare, too.

Prepare Your Home and Property

Before rainy weather begins, residents can clear gutters and drains, secure outdoor items and check how water moves across and around their property.

Property owners along County roads should check private driveway culverts and keep them clear of debris. Blocked culverts can contribute to roadway flooding. Residents who see blocked or dammed roadside ditches along County roads can submit a Road Maintenance Request to Yolo County Public Works.

Residents with a creek, slough or drainage channel on their property should also watch for trash, blockages, erosion or other conditions that could affect drainage. Because work involving vegetation, streambanks, the channel or the flow of water may require permits or agency review, property owners should check before beginning more substantial work. The County’s Living with Your Creek resource provides information about maintenance, permits and agency contacts.

Make Your Winter Weather Plan

Think now about what your household would do if flooding, a power outage or a road closure affected your normal routine. Know how family members will stay in touch, where you could meet, where you might go if you needed to leave home, and which alternate routes you could use if roads were closed.

The County’s Your Winter Weather Plan is a printable template households can use to record emergency contacts, meeting locations, routes, medications, pet needs and other important information. Download Your Winter Weather Plan.

Check Your Emergency Supplies

Keep basic supplies available in case severe weather or a power outage makes it difficult to leave home.

Think about food, water, medications, flashlights, batteries, phone chargers and other household needs. Include supplies for children, older adults, people with disabilities and pets or livestock as needed.

Get Alerts

Make sure you can receive emergency information when conditions change.

Alert Yolo is Yolo County’s emergency notification system. Residents should sign up and make sure their contact information is current. Sign up at AlertYolo.org.

Residents can also use Genasys Protect for evacuation-zone and hazard information and should follow official County and local public safety sources during an emergency. Visit protect.genasys.com.

Stay Safe on the Road

Winter storms can flood low-lying roads and make normal routes unsafe. Never drive around a road-closure barricade or walk or drive through floodwater. Water may be deeper or moving faster than it appears, and the roadway beneath it may be damaged. Turn around and use another route.

Why Prepare Now?

El Niño is a climate pattern, not a storm, and it does not mean that Yolo County will experience any particular storm or flooding event. It does provide a timely reason for communities and residents to prepare before winter weather arrives.

Governor Gavin Newsom has proclaimed a state of emergency to help California prepare for the potential effects of the developing 2026–27 El Niño. The proclamation allows state agencies to move more quickly on planning, resource coordination and flood-preparation work, while supporting local partners as they prepare their own communities.

Yolo County will continue updating Ready Before It Rains throughout the winter season with information about County preparedness, steps residents can take, and local, state and federal resources that may be useful before, during and after severe weather. Learn more at YoloCounty.gov/rain.