By Sadie Shields
El Niño may mean little boy, but it’s anything but a tiny weather occurrence. El Niño occurs when the temperature of the pacific ocean becomes warmer than average, adding more precipitation into the air creating larger storms. El Niño can happen year round but it’s more noticeable in the later seasons.
While Humboldt County is known for rain, these storms are quite strong and create safety concerns, especially since we live so close to the coast. Safety is one of the most important aspects people should consider before and when the storms do hit. Being prepared can help people know what to do during dangerous weather and also prevent people from putting themselves in unsafe situations.
Humboldt Weather Station Lead Meteorologist Matthew Kidwel said El Niño’s happens when, “A specific area in the equatorial Pacific warms up and then changes the weather patterns out in the central pacific, which also translates to a changing weather pattern in Northern America, ” Kidwel said. “Instead of the normal, more typical storm track that goes through Northern California or the Pacific Northwest, it will push the storm track farther south, which can bring warmer storms.”
Sasha Tcholakov, a senior in psychology, feels highly unprepared for what to do if the storms were to hit.
“Honestly I have no idea what to do during a major storm, I haven’t gotten much information, from what I’ve seen about resources or local emergency procedures I am not sure what would make me feel more prepared. It’s not like they can gather everyone to do an announcement but at least an email would be nice”.
Klarissa Uribe, a marine biology senior, suggests ways in which Cal Poly Humboldt can improve on giving information to students.
Uribe Suggests, “Possibly a what to do/bug out bag or a storm skit guide. This would help not only myself but students who don’t know exactly what to take in an emergency. Evacuation sites could be explained more on where to go in case of a tsunami or major floods.”
Kidwell also stated some safety tips as El Niño approaches. He advised students to pay attention to the forecast and avoid walking under trees during the windiest parts of the day. He also warns about driving through flood zone areas such as the Arcata Bottoms and near King Salmon.
“If the water is coming from the ocean during flooding, it can be really bad to drive your car through it,” Kidwell said. “You never want to drive through flooded roads unless you know how deep the water is, and usually you don’t.”
Sadie is a reporter who has an interest in covering and taking photos for sports and science. She can be reached at sls331@humboldt.edu.