El Niño Is Coming: How to Prep Your Yard for a Wet Winter (and Who to Call When Storms Hit)
Cornerstone Landscaping and Maintenance responding to real storm damage in the Central Coast area after a large pine tree came down across a home and property.
A wetter winter may be ahead for California’s Central Coast.
Forecasts for the 2026–27 season show a potentially strong El Niño, with the greatest effects expected between December and February. El Niño does not guarantee a specific storm or a certain amount of rain. It does mean homeowners should pay attention to the possibility of heavier rainfall, saturated soil, wind, flooding, erosion, and fallen trees or limbs.
The best time to prepare is before the ground is soaked and contractors are booked. A few simple checks now can help protect your home, fence, deck, patio, and landscape.
Before the Storms: Prepare Your Yard Now
1. Clean gutters and downspouts
Leaves and debris can block gutters just when your roof needs to move the most water.
Clean the gutters around your home, garage, portico, and other structures. Check that downspouts are firmly connected and direct water away from the foundation. A downspout that empties beside the house can contribute to crawl-space moisture, foundation problems, and standing water.
If your gutters clog often, gutter screens may help. They still need to be checked during the season.
2. Check drainage and grading
Walk around your property after a light rain, or test drainage with a garden hose. Look for water collecting near:
- The foundation
- Crawl-space entrances
- Fence lines
- Retaining walls
- Deck posts
- Low areas of the yard
- Walkways and driveways
The ground should generally move water away from the house. If water stays in one place, you may need grading work, a French drain, a dry well, a catch basin, or another drainage solution.
Make sure irrigation and stormwater are not working against each other. Automatic sprinklers should not be running during rain events or sending water toward a foundation, fence, or retaining wall.
3. Inspect fence posts, gates, and footings
Saturated soil can expose weaknesses in a fence. Check each post for wobbling, rot, insect damage, or movement at the footing. Pay special attention to fence sections beside slopes, drainage paths, or areas where water pools.
Open and close each gate. A sagging gate or loose latch can become a larger problem in high wind.
If you are considering a new fence, now is a good time to review your options. Cornerstone Landscaping and Maintenance builds wood fences and modern hybrid styles. Our guide, How to Choose the Best Fence Installation Services: Wood vs. Modern Hybrid Styles, explains some of the differences homeowners should consider.
4. Have trees and limbs inspected
Wet soil can make trees less stable, especially when strong winds arrive. Look for:
- Dead or hanging limbs
- Cracks in major branches
- Mushrooms near the base
- Root damage
- New soil movement
- Trees that lean toward the home, fence, deck, or power lines
Trim or remove weak limbs before the storm season. Do not wait until a tree has fallen across a fence or structure.
Tree work near power lines should be handled by the utility or a qualified tree professional. Never trim, climb, or remove a tree near an energized line yourself.
5. Secure outdoor items
Strong winds can turn ordinary yard items into projectiles. Before a storm, secure or store:
- Patio furniture
- Umbrellas
- Planters
- Grills
- Outdoor decorations
- Loose lumber and tools
- Trash and recycling containers
- Removable gates or panels
Check that portico coverings, awnings, and shade structures are secure. Close and latch gates.
6. Check retaining walls and hardscape
Inspect retaining walls, steps, walkways, patios, and driveways for cracks, settling, leaning, or areas where water is pushing through.
Small changes can become more serious after repeated rain. Pay attention to soil bulging behind a retaining wall, new cracks, displaced pavers, or water washing out joints.
If you are planning stone patio installation or another backyard renovation, proper base preparation and drainage matter as much as the surface material. You can also read our post on stone patio installation and patio planning for more ideas.
7. Protect your deck
Wood decks should be checked before the wet season. Look for soft boards, exposed fasteners, loose railings, and posts that move when pushed.
If the wood is dry and suitable for treatment, resealing or staining may help reduce water absorption. Do not seal over rotten boards or structural damage. Those areas should be repaired first.
Quick Pre-Storm Checklist
Use this checklist before the first major storm:
- Clean gutters and downspouts
- Direct downspouts away from the foundation
- Test French drains, dry wells, and area drains
- Check grading and low spots
- Turn off unnecessary irrigation
- Inspect fence posts, gates, and footings
- Trim dead or weak tree limbs
- Secure furniture, umbrellas, planters, and loose items
- Check retaining walls, patios, steps, and walkways
- Inspect deck boards, railings, and posts
- Store important items above possible flood levels
- Sign up for local emergency alerts
- Keep a flashlight, batteries, medication, water, and basic supplies ready
During the Storm: Stay Safe and Avoid Preventable Damage
When heavy rain and wind arrive, safety comes first.
Do not try to clear a fallen tree from a fence during the storm. A tree may still be under tension, and additional limbs can fall without warning. Stay away from leaning trees, damaged walls, unstable fences, and flooded areas.
Stay clear of downed power lines and anything touching them. Report lines to the utility company and emergency services. Do not move branches, fencing, or other objects that may be carrying electricity.
Watch for water collecting against the house. If a pipe or irrigation line breaks, shut off the appropriate water supply if it is safe to do so. Know where your main water shutoff is before an emergency.
For low spots near doors, garages, or driveways, sandbags may help redirect shallow runoff. Sandbags are not a replacement for proper drainage, and they should not be used to block water in a way that sends it toward a neighbor’s property.
Never walk or drive through floodwater. Water may be deeper or moving faster than it appears. It can hide holes, damaged pavement, debris, and downed lines.
After the Storm: Document, Assess, and Call the Right Professional
Wait until conditions are safe before inspecting your property. Avoid areas with unstable trees, standing water, mud, exposed wiring, or damaged structures.
Document damage before cleanup
Take photos and videos from a safe location before moving anything. Photograph:
- Fallen trees and limbs
- Damaged fences and gates
- Standing water and drainage problems
- Retaining wall movement
- Deck or patio damage
- Damage to the home or other structures
- The surrounding area for context
Contact your insurance company before major cleanup when possible. Keep receipts for emergency work and temporary repairs.
What to leave alone
Do not handle:
- Downed power lines
- Trees resting on power lines
- Large trees leaning toward a home
- Trees under tension
- Severely damaged retaining walls
- Flooded electrical equipment
- Unstable decks or elevated structures
Small cleanup tasks may be appropriate for a homeowner. Large trees, structural fence damage, drainage failures, and retaining wall problems usually require professional help.
Who to Call After Storm Damage
The right contact depends on the problem.
Call the utility company
Call the utility for downed power lines, damaged utility poles, or trees touching electrical lines. Stay away until the area has been declared safe.
Call the city or county
Contact local public works for flooding on public streets, blocked public storm drains, damaged sidewalks, or downed street trees. Do not remove public trees or obstruct roadways yourself.
Call emergency services
Call 911 for immediate threats to life, active electrical hazards, trapped people, major flooding, or a structure that may collapse.
Call Cornerstone Landscaping and Maintenance
When storms hit the Central Coast, our crew responds to real storm damage in Prunedale, Salinas, and nearby areas. The photo below shows our team on a local job handling a downed tree and storm cleanup.
Cornerstone Landscaping and Maintenance crew members on a real local storm-damage job, cutting and clearing a downed tree near a home.
Cornerstone Landscaping and Maintenance can help homeowners, property managers, and real estate agents with:
- Fence repair and replacement
- Fence installation services
- Tree removal and limb work
- Brush clearing
- Storm debris and property clean-up
- Drainage and grading
- French drains and related landscape drainage
- Hardscape and retaining wall repair
- Stone patios and walkways
- Deck repair
- Porticos and outdoor structures
- Demolition and site cleanup
We are a locally owned, family-owned company serving Salinas, Prunedale, Castroville, Marina, Watsonville, Gilroy, Hollister, Monterey, Seaside, and Gonzales. Cornerstone is a licensed contractor, license #1046856.
We also work with real estate agents preparing a listing and property managers getting rentals ready before winter. Projects can be staged to fit a budget, and free site surveys and free estimates are available.
Prepare Before Contractors Are Booked
Storm damage creates a rush. Fence contractors, tree services, drainage crews, and hardscape contractors can book out quickly when a major storm is forecast or after damage occurs.
You do not need to wait for a storm warning to inspect your property. A storm-prep walkthrough now can identify loose fence posts, blocked drainage, weak limbs, and other problems while there is still time to address them.
If you want help preparing your yard for the 2026–27 wet season, contact Cornerstone Landscaping and Maintenance for a free estimate or storm-prep walkthrough. Preparing early is usually safer, less stressful, and more affordable than waiting until the ground is saturated and the damage is already done.