Congress Must Prepare Coasts for El Niño and Rising Seas

California's governor has declared a state of emergency ahead of what forecasters say could be a historic El Niño winter. The warning signs are already on the coast.

As multiple outlets report, a Kelvin wave, a slow-moving pulse of warm water that raises sea levels, is expected to reach Southern California by the end of October. One scientist warns that once it arrives, water levels may not return to normal for months, and any storm or high tide in that window could be catastrophic. Dozens of coastal homes have already been damaged or left uninhabitable in recent weeks.

Climate scientist Daniel Swain says the worst case is a Kelvin wave, a king tide, and a major storm arriving together, which would likely bring record-breaking coastal flooding. Higher seas make every surge and every high tide more dangerous, and El Niño is only the latest reminder of how little margin coastal communities have left.

Scientists can see this coming and are urging people to prepare. Communities need the resources to act on that warning.

Add your name to demand that Congress fund coastal resilience and disaster preparedness, protect the forecasting and monitoring that gave us this early warning, and invest in climate adaptation before the next emergency arrives.

A warning only helps if someone acts on it. Congress has the power to make sure communities are ready when the water arrives.