# El Niño Storm Season 2026-27: Who Pays for Sandbags, Flooding, Mudslides and Roof Leaks

> NOAA expects a very strong El Niño this winter. Free sandbag limits city by city, the 30-day flood insurance wait, mudslide exclusions, claim deadlines against the city, and what a landlord must fix after a storm, each quoted from the official source.

Updated: 2026-10-01. Source: Who Pays the Repair? — https://whopaystherepair.com/guides/el-nino-storm-season-who-pays/ (claims cited to primary sources; see /methodology/).

On 10 September 2026 the federal Climate Prediction Center wrote: "El Niño is strengthening, with a greater than 90% chance of a very strong event during the Northern Hemisphere fall and winter 2026-27." ([NOAA CPC ENSO discussion, 10 September 2026](https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_disc_sep2026/ensodisc.shtml)). Nobody can promise which streets will flood. What you can know now, before the first storm, is who pays when they do. Every answer below comes from a record on this site that quotes the official source, linked so you can check it.

## 1. Flood insurance: buy it now, because it does not start today

Standard homeowners policies do not cover flooding. The federal flood program says it plainly: "Most homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage." ([homeowners insurance and flood](/rules/does-homeowners-insurance-cover-flood-damage/)). A new flood policy also has a waiting period: "Your flood insurance coverage will go into effect 30 days after your date of purchase." A policy bought the week a storm is forecast will not cover that storm. The main exception: "There is no wait if you buy flood insurance while making, increasing, extending or renewing a mortgage." Details and the other exceptions: [the 30-day flood insurance wait](/rules/national-flood-insurance-30-day-waiting-period/).

Renters are in the same position. A standard renters policy covers your belongings against many disasters, but "Floods and earthquakes are not covered." ([renters insurance and building flooding](/rules/does-renters-insurance-cover-building-fire-flood/)).

## 2. Free sandbags: who gives them, how many, and what you bring

The rules differ more than people expect: some cities give filled bags, some give empty bags and no sand, and one only opens after an emergency declaration.

WhereLimitWhat to know

[Los Angeles](/rules/los-angeles-ca-free-sandbags/)Up to 25 per householdAt fire stations, year-round; the fire department will not fill, deliver, install or remove them
[San Diego](/rules/san-diego-ca-free-sandbags/)10 per household or businessEmpty bags at listed recreation centers; sand is not provided
[San Francisco](/rules/san-francisco-ca-free-sandbags/)Up to 10Before and during storms; bring proof of address and load them yourself
[Oakland](/rules/oakland-ca-free-sandbags/)Up to 10, plus up to 20 feet of plastic sheetingWhen heavy rain is forecast, while supplies last; bring ID
[Long Beach](/rules/long-beach-ca-free-sandbags/)10 bagsResidents only, with ID; bring your own shovel
[Sacramento County](/rules/sacramento-county-ca-free-sandbags/)20 per visitUnincorporated areas only; the county supplies sand and bags, you bring a shovel
[San Jose](/rules/san-jose-ca-free-sandbags/)See Valley WaterFilled bags, November 1 to April 15, including the City Central Service Yard on Senter Road
[Fresno County](/rules/fresno-ca-free-sandbags/)Empty bags freeAt county road yards; you shovel the sand
[Tampa](/rules/tampa-fl-free-sandbags/)10 per property per stormOnly after an emergency declaration; bring ID showing a city address

Two lines worth reading before you drive anywhere. Los Angeles: "the Department is not able to fill, deliver, install or remove sandbags." Tampa: "Sandbags are only available after an emergency declaration has been made."

## 3. The storm drain on your corner is clogged: who clears it?

In the big California cities, the city does. San Francisco Public Works says to call 311 when "water is overflowing from inside the catch basin" and asks owners to keep sidewalks free of leaves ([San Francisco catch basins](/rules/san-francisco-ca-catch-basin-storm-drain-flooding/)). LA Sanitation says: "We clean and inspect all 40,000 sidewalk catch basins across the City of Los Angeles" and asks residents to report clogged ones ([Los Angeles catch basins](/rules/los-angeles-ca-catch-basin-storm-drain-flooding/)).

Houston splits it. The city maintains its storm sewers and ditches, but "it is the abutting property owner’s responsibility to maintain ditches free of debris so water can flow with minimal obstructions," and a damaged or undersized culvert under your driveway is yours to replace ([Houston roadside ditches and culverts](/rules/houston-tx-roadside-ditch-storm-sewer-maintenance/)).

## 4. Mudslides and debris flows: usually not covered

The California Department of Insurance: "HO policies generally exclude damages caused by mudflow, mudslide, debris flow, landslide, or other similar events." Flood insurance does not fill the gap either: "damages resulting from landslides and sinkholes are not covered under the NFIP." The exception to know about is a slide below a burn scar, where a wildfire can be the covered cause under the "efficient proximate cause" rule. If you live on a hillside, Los Angeles County says of drainage devices such as slope and bench drains: "With few exceptions, maintenance of these drains is the responsibility of the homeowner." Full record: [California mudslide and debris flow](/rules/california-mudslide-debris-flow-who-pays/).

## 5. Water in the house from the sewer

Sewer backup is its own coverage question, and many policies leave it out: "Some policies cover sewer and drain backups, but many do not; however, you can purchase a sewer backup rider to a homeowners or renters policy for approximately an additional $50 each year." ([sewer backup coverage](/rules/does-homeowners-insurance-cover-sewer-backup/)). Adding the rider is a pre-season job, not a post-storm one.

## 6. Blaming the city: the claim deadline comes first

If you believe a city storm drain or sewer main caused the damage, the first step is a written claim to the city, and the clock is short. The City of Los Angeles: "Claims for death, injury to person or to personal property must be filed no longer than six (6) months after the date of occurrence," and claims for damage to real property within one year ([Los Angeles claim deadline](/rules/los-angeles-ca-city-claim-storm-sewer-damage-deadline/)). San Francisco uses the same split ([San Francisco claim deadline](/rules/san-francisco-ca-city-claim-property-damage-deadline/)). San Diego lists "Sewer main back-ups and flooding" as claims it takes and says "Most claims must be presented to the Risk Management Department no later than six months after the date of the incident or event." ([San Diego sewer backup and flooding claims](/rules/san-diego-ca-city-claim-sewer-backup-flooding/)). Take photos the day it happens and file early.

## 7. Renters: the roof leaks, the landlord fixes it

In California a rental is legally untenantable if it substantially lacks "Effective waterproofing and weather protection of roof and exterior walls, including unbroken windows and doors," and the landlord must "repair all subsequent dilapidations thereof, which render it untenantable" ([California renters and storm roof leaks](/rules/california-renter-storm-roof-leak-landlord-repair/)). Report the leak in writing and keep a copy. Your own belongings are a different question: those fall to renters insurance, because "your landlord's policy won't replace your personal possessions" ([renters insurance](/rules/does-renters-insurance-cover-building-fire-flood/)).

## 8. A tree comes down on the house

Your own homeowners policy is the first call, even when the tree was your neighbor's: "You are insured no matter who owns the tree." ([tree falls on your house](/rules/does-homeowners-insurance-cover-tree-falling-on-house/)).

## 9. The power goes out and the food spoils

The utilities will usually say no when weather caused the outage. Southern California Edison lists "weather-related conditions including wind, rain, fog, lightning, or extreme heat" among the things it is generally not responsible for, and PG&E says the same about "extreme storms." Your homeowners policy may help: according to the Insurance Information Institute, insurers "will usually cover up to $500 of food that spoils from a power outage caused by a covered peril" ([storm outage and spoiled food](/rules/california-storm-power-outage-food-spoilage-claim/)).

## 10. If a disaster is declared: FEMA, for owners and renters

FEMA's Individuals and Households Program helps people with "uninsured or under-insured necessary expenses and serious needs" after a declared disaster, and "FEMA disaster assistance is not just for homeowners. It’s also available to renters." It is a backstop, not a policy: "IHP assistance is not a substitute for insurance and cannot compensate for all losses caused by a disaster." ([FEMA help for homeowners and renters](/rules/national-fema-individual-assistance-homeowners-renters/)).

## Before the first storm: a short list

- Price a flood policy today; the 30-day clock starts when you buy.

- Ask your insurer whether you have a sewer backup rider.

- Check your city's sandbag rule and limit, and whether you need your own shovel.

- Clear the gutter in front of your house, and in Houston the ditch and driveway culvert.

- Photograph your home and belongings now, so a claim has a before picture.

- Save your city's claim form link; the deadline can be six months.

More: [who pays, city by city](/cities/).