Opinion: Enough with the el nino talk already

BY DAVE PRICE
Daily Post Editor

I’m getting suspicious of hearing local politicians repeatedly warn us that the super el nino is coming.

Yes, I agree that we’ll get soaked. That happens most winters. Why is it such a major focus this year?

This is driven by the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass faced brutal national blowback after continuing a trip to Ghana right as extreme fire weather warnings were peaking.

Subsequent investigations and reports from the Los Angeles Times and emergency groups revealed significant city failures:

• A lack of preparation: The LAFD failed to pre-deploy extra engines and crews despite life-threatening wind warnings.
• Poor planning: Reservoirs that could have provided water for firefighting were dry so crews could do maintenance.
• Cover-up allegations: Officials faced intense scrutiny for attempting to alter after-action reports to deflect blame.

The fires killed 31 people and destroyed 13,000 homes. Most of the homes still haven’t been replaced. Insurance companies have often refused to honor their policies with homeowners. Foundations who said they would help survivors with high-profile fundraising benefits ripped off the money.

The crisis resulted in the firing of the LA Fire Chief. More than 125,000 people signed a recall petition to recall Mayor Bass, though officials kept it off the ballot. However, when she ran for re-election this year, she was defeated by an opponent who previously had been seen as having only a small chance of winning.

A threat to politicians

Bay Area politicians saw exactly how a weather-related disaster can destroy a political career if the public senses officials didn’t prepare ahead of time.

What should we be worried about? El nino poses two distinct risks:

• The “whiplash” effect: Following dry periods, a storm could dump a month’s worth of rain in just a few days, causing flooding and mudslides.
• Burn-scar rivers: Both Northern and Southern California have extensive burn scars from the 2025 and 2026 fire seasons. Because fire-stripped land cannot absorb water, even moderate rain can trigger rapid, catastrophic rivers of debris.

Money’s available

Taxpayer money is available to deal with winter storms. Voters overwhelmingly passed Prop 2, which allows the state to double its annual deposits into its rainy day fund from 10% to 20%.

Ultimately, Bay Area politicians are making a big thing out of the rain because being overly cautious is free, but being caught off guard — as LA was — costs homes, lives and political careers.

Dave Price’s column appears on Mondays.