It's Here! What to Expect During Our El Niño Week

El Niño is coming, right?

No one can say for sure, but early indications are that a major set of storms could soon be hitting greater Los Angeles this fall and winter. That likely means lots of rain, which is great for augmenting our severely depleted local water supplies. But the expected deluge also poses a lot of challenges – for our local beaches (pollution), municipalities (stormwater control) and residences (flooding and erosion).

So to help Southern California get ready, Heal the Bay has assembled seven days of special programming from Oct. 11-17. We call it...

Here’s a calendar of offerings…

• “Whiplash: From Super Drought to El Niño,” a public lecture by leading JPL climatologist Bill Patzert. Tuesday, Oct. 13, 3:30-4:30 p.m. at our Santa Monica Pier Aquarium
• “Capture, Conserve, Reuse: A Conversation with Water LA,” a presentation by Melanie Winter, longtime water and land-use activist and founder/director of the River Project. Sunday, Oct. 11, 2:30-3:30 p.m. at our Santa Monica Pier Aquarium. Green manufacturer RainReserve will be on hand as well, with demonstrations/information about installing rain tanks in your home.
• “Nothing But Sand” beach cleanup at Venice Beach on Saturday, Oct. 17, 10 a.m. to noon. More than 500 volunteers expected at cleanup, which will provide info on El Niño readiness. We will also be recruiting members for our elite Storm Response Team, which is mobilized through social media to respond quickly to heavily trash-impacted beaches following major rains.
• The El Niño Cocktail program. Heavy rains are serious stuff, but we are working with boutique Santa Monica restaurants to promote awareness in a light way. Cassia, Hotel Casa Del Mar, The Lobster and Locanda del Lago are among the establishments that will be concocting special ocean-and-El Niño-themed cocktails throughout the week. Rusty’s Surf Ranch, a longtime neighbor and supporter of our Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, will also be offering promotions. A portion of sales will be donated to support the protection of local beaches and watersheds this winter.
• Tips, quizzes, contests and giveaways on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram profiles.

El Niño Week promises to have more bite than Shark Week. So sign up now for our events and make sure you check our website and social media channels for regular updates throughout the week. It all starts this Sunday! .