After the storms of 2023, Central Coast residents know how quickly conditions can change. Now, with a potentially strong El Niño season, the time to prepare is now.
Saturday at The Anderson Paso, nearly 100 people from the community came out to KSBY’s “Let’s Talk: El Niño” community event to learn more.
“We just want people to be prepared,” said KSBY meteorologist Jim Castillo.
There was a line out the door, and folks were checking in, meeting and greeting our panelists of experts. People in Paso Robles were ready to talk El Niño.
“I just want to be aware of what I can do, so I can be more prepared,” said San Luis Obispo resident Erika Estrada.
For many people on the Central Coast, the storms of January 2023 are still fresh in their minds. For Estrada, a small tornado that hit Grover Beach in 2024 took out her car - something she’ll never forget.
“We had a lot of heavy rains out here, and there were road closures, there was flooding, there were power outages, and then there was a small tornado that took out a car,” she said. “We were fortunate that there weren’t any injuries - at least in our family - there was no one near the car, but I know that it could’ve played out very differently.”
It's the kind of hardship local officials hope people can avoid by preparing before the next storm arrives.
KSBY hosted its second “Let’s Talk: El Niño” community event at The Anderson Paso in partnership with PG&E and the San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services, where meteorologists Vivian Rennie and Jim Castillo spoke to community members and heard their concerns, answering questions about what’s already made landfall: El Niño.
“It’s something to be aware of,” said Paso Robles resident Kristin Allen. “This is the strongest event they’re talking about. So, yeah, I wanna know what the facts are and how I can protect my family, my property and keep my neighbors safe, as well.
Community members filled the room, ready to learn and prepare.
“We’re already starting to see a lot of wave action and severe wave action along the coast, the Kelvin wave, high sea levels and a little bit of coastal flooding, so everybody’s really concerned about the future and what may happen during El Niño,” Castillo said.
Attendees took notes and photos, as panelists shared ways to prepare.
The advice included preparing emergency supplies now, checking trees around your property, signing up for alerts and having a plan for potential power outages.
“I’ve been hearing them talk a lot about being prepared to be out of power for 72 hours, and I’m realizing I’m not prepared for that, so it’s just a really good takeaway to work on,” said Estrada.
SLO County OES shared links with attendees to ReadySLO.org, AlertSLO, Reverse 911 and Creek Ready SLO, so residents can sign up to receive notifications and stay informed during emergencies.
