CNN, on Climate, 27 October 2026

3.0out of 10Minor

Newsom to sign order protecting Pacific Coast Highway from El Niño’s powerful storms

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom will sign an executive order Tuesday to protect the iconic Pacific Coast Highway from the impacts of El Niño-related storms as a potentially stormy winter approaches. This action comes on the heels of the Democratic governor’s state of emergency declaration issued on Sept. 21, which freed up resources to prepare for what is predicted to be the strongest El Niño event on record to affect California. El Niño is a naturally occurring climate cycle characterized by hotter than normal ocean temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean and altered winds and precipitation patterns along the equator.

El Niño has ripple effects on weather patterns worldwide, contributing to a variety of extreme weather events. It can cause flooding in some regions and drought in others. While an intense El Niño does not necessarily mean related extreme weather events will be stronger, it does increase the odds that these extremes will occur. One of the hallmarks of El Nino is its potential to send powerful, moisture-laden storms into the Golden State that bring high winds, towering waves and heavy rainfall, all of which threaten the stability of coastal transportation corridors like Highway 1.

High waves have already caused erosion to eat away at the scenic highway. to the point where some coastal roads and rail lines are no longer safe to travel on. The order will create a Highway 1 task force, led by the state transportation and natural resources agencies, to prepare the roadway for coastal storms and tackle longer-term climate change risks. “Highway 1 is more than our nation’s most iconic roadway.

It keeps our coastal economy moving,” Newsom said in a statement. “It gets people to work, children to school, goods to local businesses, first responders where they’re needed, and visitors to our legendary beaches.” “We know what repeated closures cost these communities, and we’re putting state agencies to work now to reduce the danger before storms hit,” Newsom said. Newsom also will sign another executive order that builds upon the September emergency proclamation, to help communities prepare for storms before they arrive.

The order will give state agencies additional tools to reduce flood risks and protect critical infrastructure from the potential impacts of El Niño.

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What we found (1)

CNN reports accurately on Newsom's two executive orders to prepare the Pacific Coast Highway and coastal communities for El Niño storms. It presents the threat to the road almost entirely as the work of a natural climate cycle. It mentions climate change only in passing and never says that warming or rising seas make the erosion and heavy rain worse.

  1. Leaves out the climate link

    Minor

    “El Niño-driven high tides and pounding surf can significantly worsen such erosion”

    Why this matters
    The words "El Niño-driven high tides and pounding surf" put the whole threat to the highway down to El Niño, which S5 calls a "naturally occurring climate cycle".
    The impression it gives
    A reader takes the damage to Highway 1 to be the product of a natural cycle alone, with nothing about a warmer climate or higher seas adding to it.
    The context
    Coverage of the same week reports that the sea off California has risen about a foot over 125 years and that coastal waters are at record warm levels. The documented record shows warming has made heavy rainfall more frequent and more intense. The article's only nod to this is the passing phrase "longer-term climate change risks" in S12, which is why this gap is minor.

    How we know

    Show it in the article

What it gets right

  • “While an intense El Niño does not necessarily mean related extreme weather events will be stronger, it does increase the odds that these extremes will occur.”

    CNN describes the risk in terms of odds and does not overstate what a strong El Niño guarantees.

  • “tackle longer-term climate change risks”

    CNN at least ties the new task force to climate change risks to the coastal road, beyond this winter's storms.

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