A storm drain has one job.

Leaves have other plans.

San Marcos says crews are inspecting and clearing drains before the rainy season. They are also preparing equipment and coordinating how city teams will respond if storms cause trouble.

Useful work.

The kind you barely notice when water keeps moving.

But follow that water toward San Marcos Creek, and the question changes. What can a city clear now? And what still needs a bigger fix?

The Work Happening Now

A state filing describes a San Marcos maintenance program covering 26 stormwater facilities. Work under the program can include removing vegetation, sediment, litter and debris from channels, basins and drainage structures.

Twenty-six sounds like a progress report.

It isn’t.

That is the number of facilities covered by the program. The city has not said crews cleaned all 26 this season or identified the locations they have reached so far.

There is another number getting attention. NOAA’s September outlook puts the chance of a very strong El Niño during fall and winter 2026–27 above 90%.

Pause before turning that into a forecast for your driveway.

It is a prediction about El Niño’s strength. It is not a 90% chance of flooding in San Marcos. NOAA says the weather effects associated with El Niño are not guaranteed.

What the Creek Still Needs

San Marcos finished major flood-control improvements in 2024. The city’s draft Creek District plan says that work resolved most flooding impacts.

Most.

That word is doing some heavy lifting.

The draft considers options for a naturalized channel to carry stormwater and address remaining flood constraints as the district develops. Detailed engineering would be needed with future development proposals.

So the channel is an option under review. It is not a finished flood-control project.

There is a separate question near Discovery Street. A levee runs along San Marcos Creek between Bent Avenue and Via Vera Cruz. A September City Council staff report says the city is seeking FEMA accreditation for the levee and a federal flood-map revision reflecting completed improvements.

The report also proposed an emergency response plan covering inspections, communication and action during a flood threat.

The online council agenda reviewed does not establish the final outcome of that proposal. The records reviewed do not confirm FEMA accreditation.

Seeking approval is one thing.

Having it is another.

The Part Residents Can Handle

Clear leaves from gutters and drainage areas. Check trees and secure loose outdoor items. Sign up for emergency alerts.

Need sandbags? The county lists free, self-service sand and bags at Hollandia Park, 12 Mission Hills Court. The site is listed as available from sunup to sundown. Bring a shovel, and call 760-752-7550 first to check supplies.

Nobody needs a rainy-day trip to an empty sand pile.

The city can clear drains now. The Creek District’s remaining questions need more work.

Rain, inconveniently, does not wait for paperwork.

Questions About San Marcos Rain Preparation:

Does El Niño guarantee flooding in San Marcos?

No. NOAA says its associated weather effects are not guaranteed.

Have all 26 stormwater facilities been cleaned?

That has not been verified. Twenty-six is the number covered by the maintenance program.

Is the proposed Creek District channel complete?

No. It remains a planning option requiring detailed engineering.

Where can residents get free sandbags?

Hollandia Park, 12 Mission Hills Court. Bring a shovel and call ahead to check supplies.