San Francisco mayor declares local emergency to prepare for El Niño storm effects

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has declared a local emergency to help speed up the city's preparedness for El Ni o storm conditions this winter.Lurie was set to announce the emergency declaration on Friday, joining other Bay Area counties in declaring local emergencies to prepare for severe storms, flooding, and the continuity of essential services.The declaration suspends certain contracting requirements to allow for city departments to secure goods and services needed for storm preparations."Today, I am declaring a local emergency to ensure San Francisco is ready for the severe storms, flooding, and high tides that El Ni o could bring this winter," said Lurie in a prepared statement. "We are acting now to make sure our departments have the resources they need to protect San Franciscans quickly throughout the season. We will continue preparing across city departments, and I'm asking every San Franciscan to do their part so we can keep our communities safe because the time to prepare