El Niño gutter prep for Los Angeles, before the first storm.

NOAA forecasts a very strong El Niño this winter, likely the strongest since 1997-98. Its Climate Prediction Center issued an El Niño Advisory on September 10, 2026, giving a 90 percent or better chance of a very strong event this fall and winter and a 75 percent chance it becomes the strongest El Niño on record, beating every event since 1950.

Downtown Los Angeles recorded 31.01 inches of rain in the 1997-98 El Niño season, against a normal season of 14.25 inches, according to National Weather Service records. February 1998 alone brought 13.68 inches, still the wettest February downtown LA has ever recorded. This winter’s setup is forecast to be stronger.

Start with a full cleaning and a flush of every downspout, then fix what the water will find: leaking seams and end caps, sagging runs with the wrong slope, and long roof sections draining to a single downspout. Carry the water away from the foundation with extensions or underground drainage, and add BroGuard mesh so debris does not rebuild between storms.

Before October, and before the first Pacific storm at the latest. A Solutionist walks the roofline, and the crew does the work the same day whenever possible, with a written report of what was cleaned, fixed and still recommended. Book before the first big storm, so call (213) 205-6598 early.

Because roof water released onto a slope adds to the ground that is already saturated. Hillside and canyon homes need roof water carried to a controlled drain, not dumped onto the hill. The 2025 Palisades and Eaton burn scars make this winter’s debris flow risk worse, so where your downspouts end matters as much as the gutter itself.

Yes, fast. Jacaranda, sycamore, pine and palm drop can refill an open gutter within weeks, and in a back-to-back storm pattern there is no dry window to get up and clean between systems. Stainless BroGuard micro-mesh keeps the trough clear all season, so the gutter you paid to clean in October still works in February.

NOAA’s September 10, 2026 update keeps an El Niño Advisory in effect and gives a greater than 90% chance of a very strong event through fall and winter. That raises the odds of a wet Southern California winter, but no El Niño guarantees rain: 2015-16 was strong and downtown LA got only 9.65 inches.

Downtown LA averages 14.25 inches a season. It got 31.25 inches in 1982-83, 31.01 inches in 1997-98 and 25.19 inches in 2023-24, when two February 2024 storm days alone put down 7.03 inches.

Now through early November, before the first big storm. The storms that matter in LA usually arrive between December and March, and crews and sandbags both run short once the forecast turns.

No. The City of Los Angeles does not allow storm water in the sanitary sewer. Send downspouts to landscaping or a drain line that carries the water at least 5 feet from the house.

Every LAFD neighborhood fire station gives out free ready-to-fill sandbags, up to 25 per household, and LA County fire stations cover unincorporated areas. Bring a shovel; sand is available at select sites.

Yes, if they are the right kind. BroGuard stainless micro-mesh keeps leaves and roof grit out while heavy rain passes straight through, so the gutter is open when a storm peaks. Foam inserts and plastic screens can clog or warp.