Los Angeles, Sep 22 (IANS): The US state of California has proclaimed a state of emergency to prepare for what is shaping up to be a potentially historic El Nino season.
The proclamation will mobilise state resources and accelerate preparations ahead of potential winter storms, coastal flooding and other impacts, according to a statement from the governor’s office on Monday (local time).
“The emerging El Nino event is already breaking records, and forecasters expect it to continue to strengthen, potentially becoming the strongest in recorded history,” the statement said.
The proclamation directs state agencies to protect vulnerable communities, prepare roads and critical infrastructure, stockpile emergency supplies, and help local partners reduce the risk of flooding, landslides, and coastal hazards, reports Xinhua news agency.
El Nino is a natural climate pattern marked by warmer-than-average ocean temperatures in the tropical eastern Pacific. It can alter weather patterns and bring wetter, more intense winters to California, according to the governor’s office.
The office urged Californians to sign up for emergency alerts and make evacuation plans.
The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) has warned that an extreme El Nino event could cause losses equivalent to at least 2 per cent of Latin America and the Caribbean’s GDP and plunge an additional 4.8 million people into poverty.
In a report titled ‘The Effects of El Nino in Latin America and the Caribbean and Recommendations for Addressing It’, the Santiago-based agency on Monday (local time) said a high-intensity event could have wide-ranging economic, social and productive impacts, particularly on energy, agriculture, fisheries and infrastructure.
ECLAC Executive Secretary Jose Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs warned of “severe economic and social repercussions” as well as impacts on key productive sectors if El Nino reaches high intensity.
The agency said the largest economic losses would likely occur in the first year of the event, although the effects could persist, while declining household incomes could raise poverty levels toward the end of the decade.
