October 15, 2025
California’s official Flood Preparedness Week runs Oct. 18–25, and its arrival summons that old saying attributed to Benjamin Franklin: By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.
Fortunately, the heaviest spells of Santa Barbara’s typical storm season don’t arrive until after the first of the year. So there’s still plenty of time to take some very simple steps to prepare for power outages, big winds, and heavy rains and related flooding.
Working with local, federal and other state agencies, California’s Department of Water Resources annually rolls out messaging to help folks get ready. It’s pretty straightforward —
- Build an emergency kit. Include food, water, a flashlight, extra batteries, and medications to help sustain you and your family for at least three days.
- Protect important documentation. Prioritize documentation and items that are hardest to replace, such as titles, deeds, and passports.
- Stay informed. Sign up and pay attention to your community’s emergency alert system. Here in Santa Barbara, that’s www.readysbc.org.
- Plan an evacuation route. And know where you’ll go if you have to leave, be it a hotel, friend’s house, or emergency shelter.
Now is also a good time to take a closer look at your property. Even the best-built homes ought to get a preseason onceover. It’s always better to catch and fix potential problems early on — it could save you considerable time and money down the road.
- Make sure rain gutters and catch basins are clear of leaves, dirt, and other debris.
- Inspect the plaster weep screed at the perimeter of your home to ensure it’s not buried by soil or mulch, which could lead to rot.
- A good rule of thumb: the six feet of finish grade surrounding your structures should slope away at a quarter inch per foot.
- Bonus savings: With colder days and rainy weather, reduce irrigation watering times and frequency.
- While you’re at it, review any flood coverage in your homeowners insurance policy. Update your policy if you find it lacking.
All of this may seem like a somewhat tedious chore. But getting better acquainted with your property and preparing for emergencies — even mild ones — is always a good call. Ben Franklin would agree.