Mendocino County is taking action now to prepare for possible flooding, damaging winds and road closures this winter. The county has proclaimed a local emergency ahead of the developing El Niño and storm season. That allows officials to bring in additional personnel, move resources more quickly and strengthen coordination with state and federal agencies. Residents are being urged to review their emergency plans, gather supplies and make sure they can receive alerts. Updates will be posted at MendoReady-dot-org.