IID Ratifies Tropical Storm Rachel Emergency as Canal, Grid Repairs Continue
Board of Directors • Imperial Irrigation DistrictOctober 15, 2026
Locunity is an independent informational service and is not an official government page for this commission. All information is sourced from public footage and an analysis of official agendas with the aid of responsible, fact-checked AI. to report an error or omission.
The Imperial Irrigation District’s Board of Directors used a brief special meeting on Oct. 15, 2026, to formally back the general manager’s emergency declaration after Tropical Storm Rachel knocked out power to about 2,300 customers and breached the Westside Main Canal. The board approved Resolution No. 22-2026 on a voice vote. The move aligns IID with state and county emergency proclamations and is meant to speed cost recovery for repairs.
- Board ratifies storm emergency through Resolution No. 22-2026 on a voice vote
- About 2,300 customers lost power across 25 circuits and 22 substations
- Westside Main Canal breached, but staff say it is now fully functional
- Directors raise water-truck aid for Centinela Prison amid rationing
Board Locks In Emergency Status After Rachel
Why it matters: Ratifying the declaration is intended to help expedite cost recovery for storm damage to IID’s electrical and water infrastructure. It also places the district alongside emergency proclamations already issued by the state and Imperial County.
The basics: The storm arrived as a hurricane but made landfall as a tropical storm on Sunday, Oct. 11. It damaged transmission and distribution lines in the Imperial and Coachella valleys. General Manager Asbury declared an emergency on Tuesday, Oct. 13. The resolution asks the board to ratify that declaration and proclaim a continuing local emergency.
“Sabrina Barber of the Power Department here with an item requesting adoption of Resolution Number 22-2026, ratifying the general manager’s emergency declaration and proclamation of a continuing local emergency resulting from Tropical Storm Rachel,” said Sabrina Barber, Power Department staff.
Where things stand: The emergency layering matters for recovery dollars. The governor proclaimed a statewide emergency tied to the 2026-2027 El Niño event on Sept. 21. Imperial County proclaimed a local emergency on Oct. 9. IID’s action now completes the local link in that chain.
Staff laid out the scale of the outage. About 1,700 customers lost power in the Imperial Valley and more than 600 in the Coachella Valley.
“We had 25 circuits and 22 substations that were impacted,” said Barber.
Restoration timeline: All residential customers had power back within 12 hours. All but three commercial customers were restored by Tuesday, and a few commercial pump customers were still out. Staff said 25 to 30 poles were damaged. Repairs to line MW1 were expected within a day or two.
Water-side damage: The storm breached the Westside Main Canal and caused canal bank damage, washouts and debris. A water department staff member explained where the floodwater came from.
“Yes, it came from the desert on the west side. It went into the Yucca Wash and the Coyote Wash, and it was collected by the Westside Main,” said the staff member. Staff also noted that no Colorado River water was in the Westside Main at the time.
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Vice Chairman JB Hamby (Division 2) moved approval, and Director Lewis Pacheco (Division 4) seconded. The motion passed on a voice vote. The board did not announce an individual tally, and no roll call was taken. Ratepayers have the most at stake as damage assessments continue, since the district is seeking to recover repair costs. Agricultural customers who depend on canal deliveries and pumps are also directly affected.
What’s next: Staff said damage assessments for cost recovery are ongoing. The staff report is available in the agenda attachment.
Directors Press on Water Deliveries and Prison Aid
Why it matters: The Westside Main carries a large share of North End water deliveries. A state prison in the district also faced water rationing after the storm.
Where things stand: One director said the Westside Main accounts for 70% of North End deliveries and wanted to know whether it was back in full service.
“So is that 100% functional?” asked a director.
“It is fully functional,” answered the water department staff member. Staff added that the remaining damage is mostly to drainage and canal banks, not to delivery capacity.
Community needs: Another director raised a more urgent concern.
“Centinela Prison is down to water rationing,” said the director, who asked that a request for water trucks be forwarded to Mr. Ismail. The response offered assistance.
Credit where due: Directors thanked staff for the response and recognized west-side farmer Doug Westmoreland for his help during the storm. Board Chair Karin Eugenio (Division 5) closed the meeting by crediting the district’s preparation.
“It does seem like staff has done a really good job in preparing for these storms, and this was a perfect example of that,” said Eugenio.
What’s next: Directors did not set a formal follow-up on the Centinela water-truck request.
Looking Ahead
Three items to watch:
- Cost recovery: Assessments are still underway to determine how much IID will seek to recover.
- Final outages: The last commercial customers and the MW1 line repairs were expected to come back within days.
- The vote record: Residents who want the full vote should check the official minutes, since no individual tally was announced.