State of Emergency Declared Developing 2026–2027 El Niño Event
| Date: | September 30, 2026 |
| From: | Health Plan of San Joaquin/Mountain Valley Health Plan (“Health Plan”) |
| To: | Health Plan All Providers |
| Type: | Informational |
| Subject: | State of Emergency Declared Developing 2026–2027 El Niño Event |
| Business: | Medi-Cal Managed Care/Medicare Advantage D-SNP |
Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a State of Emergency for California in response to the developing 2026–2027 El Niño, which is expected to be very strong and potentially historic in magnitude. Forecasts from the National Weather Service indicate a greater than 90% chance of a major El Niño event capable of bringing severe storms, flooding, coastal erosion, landslides, and other significant impacts throughout the state. California has already begun experiencing early effects, including unusual precipitation and coastal flooding.
Key Actions Under the State of Emergency:
- State agencies will coordinate preparedness and response efforts, including pre-positioning resources, supporting local governments, and streamlining emergency permitting.
- The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) will lead statewide planning for severe weather, flooding, debris flows, and coastal impacts.
- The Department of Water Resources will stage and distribute flood-fighting materials such as sandbags, pumps, riprap, and plastic sheeting.
- Outreach will be conducted to dam owners, levee managers, and local agencies responsible for flood-control infrastructure.
- Transportation agencies will identify high-risk roadways, culverts, and slopes, and prepare personnel and equipment for rapid response.
- Coordination will increase with energy, water, telecommunications, and other critical-service providers to reduce outage impacts.
- Public communication efforts will expand to provide accessible, multilingual emergency information and readiness guidance.
All residents are urged to follow instructions from emergency officials and stay informed of changing weather conditions as the El Niño system intensifies.
If you have any further questions, please contact your Provider Services Representative, or call our Customer Service Department at 1-888-936-PLAN (7526). You may also visit https://www.hpsj.com/alerts/ for online access to the documents shared. The most recent information about Health Plan and our services is always available on our website www.hpsj-mvhp.org
