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As the community prepares for this winter’s El Niño storms, the rural towns of Woodside and Portola Valley are on especially high alert. With a history of mudslides, road closures, outages and downed trees, town officials and residents share what they are doing to brave the storm.
Western Hills resident Christin New is a Woodside native and has a lifetime of experience preparing herself and her family for extreme weather events. She said she carries a 12-inch electric chainsaw in her electric Ford truck. She’s had to use it over a dozen times over the last few years, she said.
For residents who live “up in the hills” of Woodside, being prepared for heavy storms means preparing for the worst. The high-density canopy of the redwood trees in neighborhoods such as Skylonda and Kings Mountain create a temperate rainforest environment, causing a drastic change in climate compared to the forecast near Town Center, said New.
“If you ever see a prediction for rainfall down on ‘the flatlands,’ like in Town Center or closer to HIghway 280, whatever they get in rainfall there you have to multiply it anywhere from two to eight times that, and then you’ll get closer to what our rainfall is up above,” New explained.
In March 2023, a 250-foot-wide landslide on Highway 84 caused major damage to the thoroughfare which took over a year to be fully repaired. One lane reopened in July 2023 and both lanes reopened in May 2024.
Over the years, mudslides have consistently closed down portions of Highway 84. New said since the mid-1980s, every year there is forecast for a strong El Niño storm, the highway has washed out.
“When they talk about ‘this is going to be a big El Niño year,’ and I’m thinking this is a year to be really worried about the highway because in all those other years, we also had catastrophic failures of the highway,” she added.
In October, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors declared this winter’s El Niño as a local emergency.
Ahead of the winter storms, Woodside officials have been coordinating with agencies across San Mateo County, including the Department of Emergency Management and other public works agencies, said Louis Sun, Woodside’s town engineer.
The town’s history of road closures and concerns for emergency evacuation have been top of mind for staff. Since the 2023 landslide on Highway 84, Woodside staff have been proactively preparing for the next storm by improving the storm drainage system on Old La Honda Road, clearing vegetation and cleaning turnouts to create more space for cars on winding roads, said Sun.
Townwide preparations have been ongoing since the summer, he added. Staff have been involved in vegetation removal, clearing out drainage systems and have requested residents check their neighborhood drains and creeks are clear of any debris.
Sun said since the major closure of Highway 84 and the ongoing issues of frequent collisions on state highways, the town has developed a stronger relationship with Caltrans, improving communications with the agency and working together to coordinate quicker responses.
The Glens neighborhood, which has narrow roads and some one-way streets, is another area of Woodside where town staff are taking precautions and focusing storm preparedness efforts.
Since New was a child, she’s been strapping on her rainboots and rain jackets to clean out debris from culverts on the roads near her house. Even now, drivers on Highway 84 might spot her cleaning out the drains in her yellow overalls and safety vest, because sometimes locals don’t have time to wait for Caltrans to respond to their requests, she said.
Heavy storms can also lead to days-long power outages and cut telephone landlines.
Over her lifetime, New has discovered many ways she can get ahead of the chaos. At her home, she has a large backup battery that powers essential electronics including cellphones, rechargeable headlamps, flashlights and the internet.
“When the power goes off, it doesn’t necessarily mean our internet Comcast will be off but you have to power the devices that keep your internet on,” said New. “If you can maintain Wi-Fi access, you can still maintain your connection because cellphone service, even in the best of times, is sometimes spotty in the hills.”
As another level of preparedness, members of her family are also licensed ham radio operators. She said she believes it is a useful resource to have in emergencies to receive and disseminate information. New also invested in new electronic trucks that are able to provide additional battery power to a house for nearly four days with conservative energy use, she said.
Compared to her younger years, where the only heat and light source during a winter storm was a wood-burning stove, this is “a little bit more luxurious,” New said.
But one of the most important resources she has is the community. Despite the risks, New feels comfortable living in the Western Hills because everyone looks out for one another.
“I know everybody in my community, and I know that you know we can all call upon each other for help,” she said. “I think that’s less common in today’s world, and that’s one of the things I love about being up there.”
Woodside Fire Protection District tips
Woodside Fire Protection District recommends local residents take four steps before the first storm: make a plan, build a supply kit, know where to get sandbags and sign up for the county-wide emergency alert system.
To create a plan, discuss a meeting place with your household if you can’t get home, choose a contact person who lives out of the area and know the primary and secondary routes out of your neighborhood. Residents on private or single-access roads should also prepare for days without normal road access, according to fire officials.
An emergency kit should be supplied with three days worth of water and nonperishable food, medication, flashlights, batteries, radio, power banks, first aid supplies, important documents, warm clothes and rain gear. Supplies should be packed for the whole household including pets and livestock.
Before the power goes out, Woodside Fire officials recommend residents test their pumps, backup batteries and generators. They also state that generators should be powered on at least 20 feet from windows, doors and vents — never in a garage.
It is also recommended that households install or test carbon monoxide detectors. Officials warn against using grills or gas ovens to warm up homes.
The community can also sign up for SMC Alerts to receive texts, emails and voice messages about emergency situations, including evacuation, flooding, severe weather and road incidents. Register at smcalert.info.
The fire district also provides preparedness education through WPV-Ready, a resource that includes guidelines on how to get ahead of natural disasters such as earthquakes, wildfires and storms. Visit wpv-ready.org for more details.
For more information on emergency tips visit woodsidefire.org/our-district/community-risk-reduction/severe-weather/el-ni-o-preparation.
