SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- Winter is coming, and now is a good time to prepare your home and garden for a very wet winter, especially in an El Niño season.
ABC 10News Meteorologist Vanessa Paz spoke with a pair of San Diego experts for tips on preparing your home and garden.
Gregg Cantor is a design and home remodel expert with over four decades of experience. He recently shared inexpensive and valuable tips on what to do before a rainy season and how to manage an emergency if the surrounding areas within your home flood.
Cantor said if you have a leaning fence on its last leg that could fall in a significant rain event, "Buy stakes or cords; put stakes in the ground and attach it to the fence or call a fence company and have them assess it."
Cantor added that having a submersible pump in your inventory is inexpensive and could be very useful when your crawl space or surrounding areas become flooded.
He noted other things worth having on hand, such as sealant to prevent window or door water leakage. Other practical necessities are sandbags and straw waddles.
If you live on a hill or have soot, laying down a straw waddle could prevent debris from running into sidewalks or streets.
If you or someone in your home is comfortable, use a 6-foot ladder to clear rain gutters from leaves and debris. Calling roofers ahead of a storm could also prevent long-term damage.
"If you have attic access, get a stepladder and look around during the day. If you see daylight coming through, that's a sign your roof may be worn out,” Cantor said.
Leonard Vargas, the director of gardens and facilities at Olivewood Gardens in National City, also shared tips regarding your landscaping.
Vargas advised putting down mulch around your plants and landscaping because it holds a lot of moisture from runoff and allows your soil to soak in moisture from rain. He added that after a rainstorm, turn your irrigation off for 48 hours. In back-to-back storms, double those 48 hours.
When it comes to trees, Vargas said pruning is key.
"Any trees you want to make sure you're opening them up when you prune so the wind can go through them to prevent breakage," Vargas said.
One example is Ficus trees with large branches. Adding moisture to those branches will make them heavier, and pruning them would help prevent them from breaking, potentially damaging something, or causing injury to someone.
Vargas said if you have a tree in the Ficus, Eucalyptus, or Melaleuca family that you're concerned about, call a certified arborist to come out and assess.
Vargas also said to use the rainfall to your advantage: Invest in a rain barrel and use the water for future irrigation for the spring or summer seasons.
Overall, the number one tip Vargas and Cantor shared was to stay proactive and prepare early.
