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As a strong El Niño season brews, Redwood City has launched a new program to help neighborhoods prepare for heavy rain and flooding.
Called “Adopt-a-Drain”, the program allows residents to adopt a neighborhood storm drain, name it and help keep it clear of leaves and debris throughout the rainy season to reduce localized flooding, according to a city news release.
Participants who sign up can log their visits to their drains on the city’s website and notify the Redwood City Public Works Department if debris under the grate needs clearing, the release said. The first 50 people to sign up will receive clean-up kits, which include a high-visibility vest, work gloves and a rake.
The program will include “friendly community challenges,” with categories such as “Most Creative Drain Name,” “Most Drains Adopted,” and “Top Environmental Stewardship Find,” and winners will be recognized at a later council meeting, according to the release.
According to the city council’s Sept. 14 storm preparedness report, as El Niño strengthens, there is more than a 90% chance of a “very strong” weather event during fall and winter 2026-27. El Niño could bring heavier rain and flooding to the Bay Area, causing king tides, elevated sea levels and atmospheric rivers, according to the report.
To prepare for the upcoming storms, the city said its Public Works crews have been clearing debris, sediment and vegetation from Redwood Creek and city-maintained crossings of Cordilleras Creek. The department will also complete its annual maintenance along the Bayfront Canal by mid-October, also cleaning storm inlets, catch basins, siphons and trash-capture devices across the city, according to the press release.
City staff said it maintains 24/7 availability during the wet-weather season and monitors forecasts, rainfall, creek and drainage conditions, tides and other indicators to best respond to risks.
The city’s self-service sandbag station at the Public Works Services Yard will also be available for residents this fall, and residents can help their neighbors by filling extra sandbags and placing them in a designated area for people who may not be able to fill or carry bags themselves.
Residents are also encouraged to sign up to receive emergency notifications from SMC Alert and review the city’s storm preparedness resources online.
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