Here is a good example of pre-event mitigation, something we do not do enough of in my opinion. See: FEMA, California Cities Prepare for El Niño With Dress Rehearsal

Anticipating a strong El Niño this winter, the regional Federal Emergency Management Agency in Oakland on Wednesday is conducting a dress rehearsal and releasing a disaster response plan for Northern California.

FEMA spokeswoman Mary Simms said a task force has been working on a plan to “prepare for, respond to, recover from and mitigate against” any El Niño-related disaster. And that on Wednesday, officials from many agencies will “rehearse” what would happen during an El Niño to make “intelligent decisions” when the storms hit. Other plans are similarly being developed in Arizona and Nevada, as well.

Here is another article with more details, from the Sacramento Bee.