Burden of Proof is South Pasadena's first non-alcoholic bottle shop.
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Taylor Kealy/Taylor Kealy
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Topline:
The new South Pasadena bottle shop Burden of Proof looks to foster community for those seeking alternative drinking options.
Sober curious?: With dry January just around the corner, many of us are reigniting some of our curiosity with cutting back on alcohol. However, diving into non-alcoholic spaces can be a tad intimidating, especially if you're just starting out. That's exactly where non-alcoholic bottle shops like Burden of Proof look to meet you at — the beginning of your curiosity.
Differentiating spirits: Whether you're looking to cut back or just wanting another option to sip on during the week, there's a little something for everyone in the growing non-alcoholic space. From dealcoholized beverages such as beer or wine to non-alcoholic spirts built from the ground up, the choices for the curious are nearly endless.
Read on... to learn what goes into a non-alcoholic beverage, what distinguishes it from it's alcoholic cousin, and how to make the coziest non-alcoholic Old Fashioned.
With dry January just around the corner, many of us are reigniting some of our curiosity with cutting back on alcohol. For some, that might mean seeking out alcohol alternatives — like non-alcoholic spirits, wines, and beers.
However, diving into non-alcoholic (NA) spaces — whether it's a bar, bottle shop, or community event — can be a tad overwhelming, especially if you’re just beginning to explore that sober curious journey and you’re not entirely sure what to look out for.
“It’s definitely intimidating,” says Obreanna McReynolds, co-owner of the new non-alcoholic bottle shop Burden of Proof in South Pasadena. “To walk in and see all the products and to think, ‘If I’m here, does that mean I can never drink again? Or I’m gonna be judged?’”
The Burden of Proof
For McReynolds and her husband Dean Peterson, opening up San Gabriel Valley’s first non-alcoholic bottle shop was a convergence of personal explorations and noticing a need in the industry.
Obreanna McReynolds and Dean Peterson, co-owners of Burden of Proof
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Taylor Kealy/Taylor Kealy
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The two met in the summer of 2020 during the height of the pandemic and had their first date on ZOOM. For them, a typical night consisted of up to two bottles of wine.
“I prided myself going into the pandemic. I had my box of red, my box of rose, and my box of white. So, like many people, we turned to alcohol. And then coming out of [the pandemic], those drinking habits stayed.” Looking back on it now, McReynolds says she was slightly hungover for a couple of years.
However, their habits quickly changed in 2022 when Dean was diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation — a type of irregular heartbeat — and was rushed into an emergency heart surgery. When told alcohol was an exacerbating factor in his condition, Dean gave up drinking overnight. In solidarity, Obreanna decided to cut back herself.
“ I think we both kind of expected that [this] would mean the end to going out — or having a fun drink at parties would be kind of like [having] a juice and a non-alcoholic beer here or there.”
It wasn’t until they ran into Minus Moonshine, a non-alcoholic bottle shop in Brooklyn, New York, that the pair realized the plethora of alternative options available to them — and it wasn’t just having a glass of juice. In those aisles, everything clicked.
“ We had always wished that LA had something like this, especially on the east side, where I think there are so many sort of older millennials like us who are not able to drink like we did in our 20s, maybe moving on to different life phases.”
Burden of Proof, McReynolds says, is that endeavor.
Mocktail anyone?
When it comes to alternatives, there are a few options. One is simply the non-alcoholic version of your favorite beverage that brewers have dealcoholized as part of its process. For some NA products, this extra step is where the sometimes surprising cost of these beverages stem from, McReynolds says.
The second, she says, are spirits that aren’t trying to replicate its alcoholic relative at all. “ There are a lot of spirits that are just built from the ground up to kind of fit the vibe of maybe a whiskey, so something spiced and warming that you sip slowly, neat or on the rocks.”
Then there are what’s called ‘functional’ ingredients or drinks — beverages that contain herbal and medicinal substances called nootropics or adaptogens that “make you feel a little something,” McReynold claims, “which is what people really miss about drinking oftentimes.”
Some non-alcoholic beverages can be used to cut the alcohol content of your traditional cocktail.
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Taylor Kealy/Taylor Kealy
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Back on the shelves of Burden of Proof, some NA spirits are sold not just as replacements but as a way to cut an alcoholic cocktail. That way, McReynolds suggests, you feel like you have a little more control over the percentage of alcohol in your beverage.
“ So it's really not necessarily an either or thing. It's a matter of more choices, more options.”
Start with what you know
If you’re new to NA spaces and you’re starting to feel the need to become a mixologist to truly enjoy your drink, McReynolds says you’re not alone. Sometimes the initial journey becomes overwhelming and people lose focus of what they’re searching for in these alternatives. Instead of feeling the need to master the skills, she says it’s best to approach NA beverages the same way you would its alcoholic brethren. For people who are starting to explore, “it's much more familiar and approachable to start with the non-alcoholic version of a drink that they already know that they like.”
And when it comes to reliable, well-liked beverages, there’s nothing cozier than a classic Old Fashioned. At Burden of Proof, they recommend from their shelves the Pathfinder whiskey alternative — a hemp and root botanical spirit.
“If you have a whiskey sized hole in your heart, the Pathfinder will fill it well.” McReynolds says. “It has the [same] complexity, the warming spices, and also the bite.”
Pathfinder Old Fashioned Recipe
To make the Pathfinder Old Fashion you will need:
2oz of Pathfinder Spirit ½ oz of demerara syrup or simple syrup 4 dashes of aromatic bitters (NA alternatives welcome as well) 1 orange peel for garnish
“Fear not, I even have a drink every now and then”
For McReynolds and Peterson, alternative bottle shops like theirs serve a crucial role for the growing NA movement — especially now with so many options available for sober curious consumers online. “ I think bottle shops are such an important place to go for education, to go to try things, to go for guidance,” she says.
Bottle shops like Burden of Proof can serve as important information centers for the NA community.
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Taylor Kealy/Taylor Kealy
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Despite the shop being only a few weeks old, McReynolds has already seen the fruits of its educational arm in action. “It’s really cool to see people in the shop start comparing notes and talking to each other” about alternative options they’ve tried and are recommending — people, she says, who are often casual alcoholic drinkers just scouting for another choice.
“I think it’s the most exciting part to just sort of see the little seeds of community being planted.”
And for those sober curious leaning into Dry January, skeptical about what the beginning of their journey means, McReynolds says, “Fear not, I even have a drink every now and then.” And at Burden of Proof, it’s not about giving up or condemning alcohol, she adds, “rather, we’re trying to just give people more choices.”
The Armored League features real-life combat at the Ukrainian Cultural Center.
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Courtesy @laurengalluzzi
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In this edition:
A Dolly Parton skate night, Charlatans UK at the Palladium, all of the Lord of the Rings movies and more of the best things to do this week.
Highlights:
Secret Movie Club is screening the complete The Lord of The Rings trilogy — all three films on 35mm film prints — at Los Angeles Theatre on Sunday. There will be hour-long intermissions to explore the space, stretch your legs and grab a snack, too.
The L.A. Jazz Fest may have been a bust, but the Rebel Jazz Fest is celebrating its fifth year in Venice and is picking up where the city left off. Windward Plaza is where the jams are at, curated by the Nonsemble collective.
We couldn’t let the week go by without a pick for the best Dolly Parton tribute of the weekend. Strap on your skates and some sparkles and get ready to roll away the pain to Dolly’s tunes at the Midnight Rollerway.
How is it already Labor Day weekend? I’m not sure where the summer went, but looking at my camera roll, it was mostly spent at the Hollywood Bowl, at the beach and in the longest movies I could find (thank you, Christopher Nolan, for all the air conditioning).
I hope your summer was filled with fun explorations, whether they were close to home or further afield. The fall is filling up fast — we have tons to look forward to here, with new museum openings, big movies coming out and some great theater coming our way, too. Plus, the Dodgers are looking strong as baseball season closes in on the playoffs, and you have a few more chances to catch the Sparks in action.
Zia McCabe of The Dandy Warhols performs at The Regency Ballroom on October 08, 2025.
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Miikka Skaffari
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Licorice Pizza has your music picks this week — and attention, BTS Army, the city has officially named this week “BTS Week” as the K-Pop band takes over SoFi for four nights.
Friday, Sept. 4, 7 p.m. Ukrainian Cultural Center 4315 Melrose Ave., East Hollywood COST: FROM $76; MORE INFO
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Courtesy @laurengalluzzi
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Do you wish Medieval Times was more … interactive? Does your favorite museum have a great collection of armored knights? The Armored League might be for you. Already a hit in New York, the “full-contact armored combat organization” stages battles before your eyes, using real steel armor, swords and axes. It’s for real, and you can check it out Friday night as the tournament comes to L.A. for the first time.
“Once More, With Feeling”: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Musical Episode singalong
Tuesday, Sept. 8, 7 p.m. Three Clubs 1123 Vine St., Hollywood COST: $25; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Three Clubs
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We all know the musical episode of Buffy is the best there ever was. Wear your best Buffy, Angel or Willow costume and walk through the fire straight to Three Clubs for this live musical theater parody reenactment.
Rebel Jazz Fest
Saturday, Sept. 5, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. 1 Windward Ave., Venice COST: FREE; MORE INFO
The L.A. Jazz Fest may have been a bust, but the Rebel Jazz Fest is celebrating its fifth year in Venice and is picking up where the city left off. Windward Plaza is where the jams are at, curated by the Nonsemble collective. The day also includes DJs, roller skating, vinyl sales and more.
Echoes of Our Ancestors II: Heroes and Saints
Thursday, Sept. 3, 8 p.m. The Greek 2700 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz COST: FROM $100; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Alexis Halejian
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For the second year running, Echoes of Our Ancestors will celebrate Armenian Heritage with a live concert at the Greek. Featuring headliner Serj Tankian of System of a Down, the night honors Armenian culture and history with award-winning musicians and performers, taking the audience through 7,000 years of Armenian history.
Newport Dunes Labor Day
Friday to Monday, Sept. 4 to Sept. 7 101 N. Bayside Drive, Newport Beach COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort
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Take a staycation at Newport’s Newport Dunes marina, where there will be all kinds of fun, family-friendly activities all weekend long. The weekend features free live music, movies on the beach, an inflatable water park, water sports, food trucks and more.
Shitty Movie Club screening: Megalopolis
Saturday, Sept. 5, 7:30 p.m. Club Fais Do Do 5257 West Adams Blvd., West Adams COST: FREE/$10 suggested donation; MORE INFO
Aubrey Plaza as Wow Platinum in Megalopolis.
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Courtesy Lionsgate
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Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis is maybe not the acclaimed director’s most revered film (ahem), but it is the perfect pick for the very on-the-nose-named Shitty Movie Club. Only in L.A., folks. Luckily for us, Cinema Saloon is screening this labor of love (Coppola sold his winery to finance it) at Club Fais Do Do, which has a 100-year-old ballroom. Plus, it’s free with RSVP, and there will be movie bingo, “weird clips” and chef-driven concessions.
Lord of the Rings trilogy in 35mm
Sunday, Sept. 6, 10 a.m. to late Los Angeles Theatre 615 S. Broadway, Downtown L.A. COST: FROM $17; MORE INFO
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Courtesy New Line Cinema
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It’s still pretty hot out, so spending all nine hours of the Lord of the Rings trilogy in the sweet, sweet air conditioning of the historic Los Angeles Theatre sounds like a good way to spend your Labor Day Sunday. Secret Movie Club is screening the complete trilogy — all three films on 35mm film prints — at the theater, which opened in 1931 and premiered Chaplin's City Lights. Fellowship of the Ring kicks things off at 10 a.m., followed by Two Towers at 2 p.m. and Return of the King at 6 p.m., with hour-long intermissions to explore the space, stretch your legs and grab a snack. There’s also an after-hours party at 10 p.m.
Charlatans UK, Dandy Warhols and Mercury Rev
Thursday and Friday, Sept. 3 and 4 Santa Ana Observatory,3503 S. Harbor Blvd., Santa Ana (Sept. 3) Hollywood Palladium, 6215 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood(Sept. 4) COST: FROM $46; MORE INFO (Hollywood); MORE INFO (Santa Ana)
Tim Burgess from The Charlatans performs at Victorious Festival 2023 at Southsea Common on August 25, 2023 in Portsmouth, England.
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Rob Ball
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Getty Images
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Be still, my Brit-pop-loving heart. Charlatans UK headline a triple bill with the Dandy Warhols (rewatch Dig! and thank me later) and Mercury Rev at the Santa Ana Observatory on Thursday and the Palladium in Hollywood on Friday. Charlatans UK’s latest album We Are Love — their 14th — came out last year. If you’re heading to the Hollywood show, it’s also a great opportunity to check out the new Vinyl Room that just opened for a cocktail before or after.
Dolly Parton Tribute Skate Night
Sunday, Sept. 6, 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Moonlight Rollerway 5110 San Fernando Road, Glendale COST: $23, skate rental $8; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Mato Events
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We couldn’t let the week go by without a pick for the best Dolly Parton tribute of the weekend. Strap on your skates and some sparkles and get ready to roll away the pain to Dolly’s tunes at the Midnight Rollerway. It’s the perfect way to honor the legend.
L.A. Mayoral Environmental Forum
Thursday, Sept. 3, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. L.A. Trade Technical-College 400 W. Washington Blvd., South L.A. COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO
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Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters
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Eventbrite
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Join environmental justice, environmental, climate, labor, public health, and community organizations from across Los Angeles for a nonpartisan mayoral forum focused on the key issues shaping the future of our city. This forum will bring mayoral candidates together to discuss environmental justice, climate, affordability, and the everyday challenges facing Los Angeles communities. And LAist's own Erin Stone will moderate the event!
The backstory: The saying goes, "It takes a village to raise a child," and parents in Inglewood and South LA took that seriously. About 30 families banded together to create a parent co-op to support one another through the ebbs and flows of parenthood, while also creating an enriching space to raise their children together. In just one year, the group has nearly tripled — and officially became a non-profit organization, Earthseed Village.
What the parent co-op's like: Earthseed Village stops short of traditional childcare. However, this tight-knit community has also naturally led to help with childcare and a network of support beyond that. The co-op is a combination of parent-led enrichment classes for children and adults, a homeschool collective that includes families with older school-age children and a built-in network for shared parenting.
Read on... to learn why families have joined the co-op — despite how "crunchy" it may sound.
On a sunny Friday afternoon at Blair Hills Park in Culver City, toddlers darted across a basketball court, waving colorful bold scarves and dancing to a children’s song.
They ended the activity with a resounding chant: “My feelings matter! Yes, they do!”
For these children, it’s a typical Friday. For the parents, it’s the village they created — a parent co-op where families take care of their kids together.
“ I'm gonna be quite honest, I thought it was the crunchiest thing ever,” said dad Cy Merriex-Isaacs. When he and his wife, Justice Isaacs, heard about the co-op, they were at a crossroads. The father of a 3-year-old daughter had been laid off from his job and became a stay-at-home dad while Isaacs continued working. The cost of childcare was a major part of that decision.
So, they wanted to build a parent community that they could find support in. “ ... That's when we realized there are a bunch of Black and brown folks who are looking for the same thing,” Merriex-Isaacs said.
Jade Smith was one of those parents. As a single mom raising a toddler, she was desperately craving support.
She put a callout to a WhatsApp group, made up of those she met at the local library and Mommy and Me yoga classes she taught, inviting families to essentially start a parent co-op.
Twelve families immediately said yes, and it has has nearly tripled since last year — officially becoming Earthseed Village, an Inglewood-based non-profit organization.
It was important for Smith to create a space where families like hers could access childcare without breaking the bank — and above all, where their children could be around trusted adults.
Children are dancing at Blair Hills Park as part of Earthseed Village's enrichment program.
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Earthseed Village stops short of traditional childcare. However, this tight-knit community has also naturally led to help with childcare and a network of support beyond that. The co-op is a combination of parent-led enrichment classes for children and adults, a homeschool collective that includes families with older school-age children and a built-in network for shared parenting.
Smith said she’s been able to rely on other parents in the group to take care of her son when she needs help. “Before this, I was exhausted all the time, I was in survival mode, and now my son has other adults that he can rely on, that I can rely on,” said Smith.
"We're really having to reimagine what childcare looks like because it's so expensive. It's becoming really inaccessible,” said Smith.
Parents build a program that works for them
Parent co-ops aren’t new — there are approximately 300 in California, according to E. Kim Coontz, the executive director of the California Center for Cooperative Development. Their hallmark attribute is giving parents and caregivers full autonomy to operate and design a program that fits their needs and share responsibility, Coontz said.
They all look different. Some are more informal babysitting arrangements between families, while others are fully structured educational programs that families run together, down to the administration, curriculum and policies. Most of them are generally lower cost than traditional private child care.
Earthseed Village’s weekly programming doesn’t exactly emulate traditional drop-off childcare. Parents must stay with their children during the gatherings, although sometimes extended family or nannies will accompany the children. (It recently opened a tuition-based nature school that does allow parents to drop off their children, but it’s separate from the co-op.)
Families who come to the program might be single parents, stay-at-home parents, or those who work remotely or hybrid.
Above all, Smith said it aims to be a “holistic learning community” where children and parents can explore, learn and grow together. She stressed that the goal is to prioritize the well-being of the entire family. In practice, it’s most evident during their outing at Blair Hills Park.
Koquis Moore leads the parents in the adult dance session, also known as the "hot mama dance."
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Koquis Moore, also known as Mama Koquis, leads the empowerment dances. After the children finished their program, she taught the mothers a dance class that Ekene Anene, mom to three daughters under the age of 7, dubbed the “Hot Mama Dance.”
The kids gallivanted around the playground supervised while the moms laughed and memorized their moves under the afternoon sun to Kanye West’s high-tempo song, “The New Workout Plan.”
As much as the co-op provides a safe space for kids to have fun, it tries to do the same for their parents.
How their parent co-op works
Earthseed Village has an expectation that everyone chips in one way or another and that families attend at least one weekly event.
Each family fills out a survey indicating how they’d like to contribute to the collective. Parents can host an activity for both the kids and adults, provide administrative support, or donate materials.
Their contributions shape the weekly programming, including yoga and sound baths on Mondays, math and movement on Tuesdays, and empowerment dances on Fridays. Past events included sewing, photography, and cooking classes. Most sessions take place at parks and public spaces.
There's a membership fee, ranging from $35-$55 per month, which pays for administrative support.
Parents and children are participating at Earthseed Village's dance session.
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Coontz of the California Center for Cooperative Development emphasized the high quality of care that parent co-ops can also provide within the childcare ecosystem. “I think a lot of times we discount what parents are capable of doing,” she said.
The co-op is made up of diverse families mainly based in Inglewood and South L.A., although some come from as far as the Valley, Silver Lake, Torrance and Compton.
“I've seen a lot of co-ops and alternative learning educational models, but they don't tend to reflect diversity or multicultural backgrounds,” Smith said. “That was a big driving force of why I wanted to create [this] group, 'cause I just wasn't seeing it ... I want my son to be in spaces that he sees himself in.”
The 'hidden' support the group offers
Cy Merriex and his wife were one of the original members of Earthseed Village. They became friends with Jade Smith after meeting her at the local library.
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Merriex-Isaacs, Earthseed Village’s “kid wrangler,” never expected to be part of a parent co-op.
He said it's the “hidden” support they provide one another — families picking each other up from the airport, giving someone soup when their family is sick or something as simple as sharing a loaf of bread.
It’s a “We got you” mentality that makes it a village, he said.
Allison Williams leads the Earthseed Village's storytimes on Wednesdays.
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Alison Williams, a teacher by trade, struggled to balance work and home life as a new parent. She decided to become a stay-at-home mom while her husband worked.
She heard about Earthseed Village through parent friends.
Williams grew up in a co-op, and her mom often talked to her about the importance of parent involvement and community.
Since joining in January, Williams said she’s appreciated being surrounded by parents who are in the same chapter as her, from potty training and sleep struggles to getting their children to eat their vegetables.
“It's definitely a partnership, and it allows you to have both some autonomy and voice but also don't have to take on all of the responsibility. It's a way of finding like-minded folks and then trusting that together you can figure out and create the kind of village that you want for your kids," said Williams.
Founder Jade Smith said she hopes the collective helps make the day-to-day of raising a family a little bit easier.
“As a single mom, creating community has been literally a lifeline for me,” Smith said. But she believes it’s bigger than her own family. “It just feels like we're creating a legacy.”
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Lucas Brady Woods
covers the weather and disasters, among other climate and science topics.
Published September 1, 2026 4:53 PM
High tides and strong surf have vexed Southern California coastal areas this summer. Emergency managers now are warning the upcoming winter may feature a stronger-than-usual El Niño season.
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Frederic J. Brown
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AFP via Getty Images
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Topline:
Emergency management officials briefed the L.A. County Board of Supervisors today on preparations for this winter’s potentially historic rain driven by El Niño.
The details: The county’s Office of Emergency Management says it’s holding a practice El Nino response exercise with other agencies on September 13 to identify gaps. Public Works plans to have all of the county’s flood control infrastructure inspected and cleared of debris by Oct. 15.
Flood risk: Officials said residents near wildfire burn scars are particularly at risk of flooding, and urged both homeowners and renters to consider investing in flood insurance ahead of the winter. They also discussed efforts to protect low-lying coastal areas and risks to roads like Pacific Coast Highway.
Read on…for more on the preparations.
Emergency management officials Tuesday told L.A. County supervisors they're preparing for the worst ahead of this winter’s potentially historic El Niño weather system.
The climate pattern usually brings significant rain and ocean swells to Southern California, elevating the risk of flooding and mudslides.
What we're seeing
An animation shows changing sea temperatures over the last several weeks.
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NOAA
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Forecasters say El Niño has already formed in the tropical Pacific Ocean and that there is already a 90% chance of a strong El Niño in our region this year.
What you need to know about El Niño
El Niño years can be associated with lots of rain in Southern California, though there's no guarantee of a deluge.
And wet winters aren’t always disastrous. What matters is how much water falls within how much time. In fact, going back to when modern records began in 1950, most of the years when we've seen the highest flood-related costs were not during El Niño events.
But there are concerns beyond rain for late 2026 and early 2027.
El Niño this time will coincide with another natural phenomenon — the highest tides of the year in a nearly two-decade cycle known as “the declination of the moon.” We’re reaching the max this winter, according to Scripps scientist Mark Merrifield.
Because El Niño warms the ocean, it also raises sea levels temporarily. On top of that there’s an unprecedented level of human-caused global warming in the mix — that has already raised sea levels by as much as a foot along California’s coast over the last century, and is making normal weather patterns more extreme.
“So we start adding these things up, and they're actually not so small anymore,” said climate scientist Daniel Swain. “The risk of coastal flooding is actually very high and almost guaranteed.”
It’s not only the coast — inland areas, especially along creeks and rivers, are also at risk due to more extreme rainfall driven by El Niño as well as human-caused global heating, Swain and other experts said.
How the county is getting ready
The county’s Office of Emergency Management said it plans to hold a practice El Niño response exercise on Sept. 13. It will include county departments and community disaster management coordinators.
“ Most importantly, the exercise will allow us to identify gaps and response actions that we can continue to work on throughout the storm season,” said Kevin McGowan, director of L.A. County’s OEM.
Crews with L.A. County Public Works are working to inspect and clear all of the county’s flood control infrastructure, like storm drains and debris catch basins, in advance of any storms. Public Works Director Mark Pestrella said the infrastructure should be fully prepared by Oct. 15.
Pestrella also said his agency is watching the Eaton and Palisades fires’ burn scars, which are particularly susceptible to flooding and mudslides. He also urged homeowners to be aware of older burn scars.
“Look for hillside slopes that come down onto the property, and the vegetation is burned and still scarred, we want them to contact us directly,” Pestrella said.
What you can do
At atmospheric river in February 2025 had residents and firefighters clearing mud in Sierra Madre. Emergency managers are warning Southern Californians could be in for a wet winter, with recent burn scar areas of particular concern.
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Mario Tama
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Emergency managers are urging at-risk residents — both homeowners and renters — to invest in flood insurance ahead of this winter, as it is not included in standard policies. They also said now is the time to fix leaky roofs and make sure drains are working properly.
During the presentation, officials also talked about their efforts to protect low-lying areas of the coast from flooding driven by both rain and high surf and warned that parts of Pacific Coast Highway are highly vulnerable to erosion.
Another area both emergency managers and county supervisors hope to prioritize is flood planning and emergency shelters for unhoused individuals in flood-prone areas.
At the end of the day, forecasters reminded the board that they can’t predict when rain will come or where it will fall. And emergency managers said they are preparing for the worst, regardless of what El Niño will actually bring this winter.
David Wagner
covers housing in Southern California, a place where the lack of affordable housing contributes to homelessness.
Published September 1, 2026 4:46 PM
A smoke remediation van is parked on a residential street in Pasadena, a few blocks away from where homes burned down in the Eaton Fire.
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David Wagner
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LAist
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Topline:
California legislators passed two bills Monday that would require insurance companies to follow new state rules for testing and cleaning homes contaminated by toxic smoke as the result of fires. Gov. Gavin Newsom has until the end of this month to sign the bills into law.
The details: Assembly Bills 1642 and 1795 would work in tandem to establish what Assemblymember John Harabedian, the author of one of the bills, calls “first-in-the-nation testing and remediation standards based on science.”
Why it matters: Some testing results in the Eaton Fire burn zone have found many homes still tested positive for lead and asbestos, even after professional remediation. Many survivors still haven’t returned to homes left standing, but covered in toxic ash, because they’re still battling their insurance companies to pay for testing and remediation.
Next steps: Under the legislation, insurance companies would be required to keep paying for policyholders' additional living expenses until their property has been restored to pre-fire condition and cleared for occupancy. The legislation calls on the state’s Department of Toxic Substances Control to establish those testing and cleaning standards for lead and asbestos by Dec. 31, 2028. The department would need to establish guidance on heavy metals and other contaminants by Dec. 31, 2029.
Read on… to learn why insurance industry groups opposed the bill.
California legislators passed two bills Monday that would require insurance companies to follow new state rules for testing and cleaning homes contaminated by toxic smoke as the result of fires.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has until the end of this month to sign the bills into law.
Assembly Bills 1642 and 1795 would work in tandem to establish what Assemblymember John Harabedian, the author of one of the bills, calls “first-in-the-nation testing and remediation standards based on science.” One change would require insurance companies to keep paying policyholders' additional living expenses until their property has been restored to pre-fire condition and cleared for occupancy.
Harabedian, whose district includes Altadena, said a lack of clear, post-fire cleaning rules has left survivors of the Eaton and Palisades fires to battle with their insurers over testing for, and remediation of, harmful contaminants.
If such rules had been in place after last year’s devastating L.A. fires, Harabedian said, “a lot of the survivors now, who are dealing with smoke damage, would be back in their homes.”
He said many of his constituents are now “trying to afford rent, trying to get the remediation and cleanup done to a satisfactory level."
"And, frankly," he added, "they're spending a lot of the money they need to rebuild their lives in litigation and disputes with their insurance companies.”
Their homes survived, but they still haven’t returned
Last year, a group of residents affected by the Eaton Fire released testing results that found many homes still tested positive for lead and asbestos, even after professional remediation.
Dawn Fanning, managing director of Eaton Fire Residents United, said she likely will not be able to return to her home until 2027 because of ongoing disputes with her insurance company.
“The night of the fire was traumatic,” Fanning said. “But what I and thousands of others have had to go through since then is more traumatic — at least for me. Being constantly gaslit and delayed and denied, it’s just an absolute nightmare.”
The legislation calls on the state’s Department of Toxic Substances Control to establish those testing and cleaning standards for lead and asbestos by Dec. 31, 2028. The department would need to establish guidance on heavy metals and other contaminants by Dec. 31, 2029.
What will the changes mean for CA’s strained insurance market?
Proponents say the rules will also protect renters seeking answers on when their homes are safe to reoccupy. Some renters who lived near Eaton and Palisades fire burn zones have felt pressured by their landlords to return to homes they believed were not adequately cleaned.
Opponents of the legislation — which included insurance industry groups, the California Association of Realtors and the San Diego Gas and Electric Company — argued the proposals inappropriately strip oversight and regulation from the California Department of Insurance.
“Given the complexity of smoke within insurance claims, CDI convened a Smoke Claims and Remediation Task Force in the Summer of 2025,” the insurance industry groups wrote in a joint letter to state legislators earlier this year.
They added that the legislation “usurps the ongoing work of the CDI and subsequent policy negotiations.”
When asked if imposing new requirements on insurers could raise premiums for homeowners already seeing spikes in home insurance coverage, Harabedian said he felt the change could actually stabilize costs.
“There have been millions, if not billions, of dollars spent in these insurance disputes,” he said. “The rates that we are currently paying are baking those costs in, because it is so inefficient. I think survivors and — I think — insurance companies want certainty.”
