As winter is upon us, we must all take steps to prepare for the wind and rain that we know is coming over the next several months. Recent storm activity certainly gave us all a reminder that we can never do too much to be prepared, and that it is essential to take both precautionary measures and to know whom to call when various problems arise.
First, if you are experiencing flooding for any reason due to rain, please contact (916)875-RAIN. It is essential that you report things that are occurring, both to receive a response and to help us keep track of flooding events as they are occurring. The more real-time data we receive, the better.
Of course, it is very important that we all take precautionary measures, especially for those of us who live in areas known to be more prone to flooding. Much of the flooding experienced in the recent storms was due to localized street flooding caused by clogged storm drains. You can help the County and your neighbors prevent flooding by doing two things: first, please keep your streets, sidewalks, and driveways free of fallen leaves that can get washed into and clog storm drains. Second, if there is large debris in your street, perhaps caused by illegal dumping, please call 875-5171 to report it. The County is continually responding to complaints about illegal dumping, and will respond as quickly as possible, depending on the work load.
You can take additional precautions if you know that your property has a tendency to flood sooner than most, particularly by buying your own sand bags and preparing for possible flooding on your own property that is not caused by clogged storm drains. While the County will open sand bag locations during extreme weather events to assist with creek and river flooding, we cannot predict all local flooding that may occur, and I urge you to take precautionary steps if you have experienced flooding before.
you can also help the County to respond to flooding and other storm-related problems by helping be our eyes and ears in the community. Depending on the situation, we have several numbers to call during a storm event to obtain a response to various situations.
As for trees that have fallen and blocked the road, please call (916)875-5171. The County Department of Transportation works very hard during storms to remove trees that have fallen into the roadway, to keep the streets and sidewalks clear for traffic to flow.
Granted, some situations are much more urgent, and require a call to 911. Please, please do not call 911 with non-emergency situations like the ones previously mentioned. The 911 operators are not equipped to handle such requests, and you may be preventing someone with a true emergency from getting through.
Life-threatening emergencies should, of course, be called in to 911 immediately. Additionally, serious, life-endangering hazards such as downed power lines should be called in to 911. Please be responsible and use your best judgment when deciding to call 911. If it’s not an emergency, please use the numbers mentioned above. As we go through the winter months,
we will also be starting a new year. With the new year, I will begin my regular community meetings once again. In Elverta, where we will be joined by the new Director of Community Development, Lori Moss, we will meet on Wednesday, January 16 at 7:30am at the Cherry Island Golf Course Bar and Grill.
We will meet in Rio Linda without Director Moss following the Community Awareness Safety Alliance, which begins at 5:30pm on Thursday, January 17 in the Rio Linda Elverta Park District’s Community Center. In the meantime, if you have questions please do not hesitate to email me at macglashanr@saccounty.net, or call my office at (916)874-5491.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
