The city of Gilroy is preparing for torrential rain this winter as the threat of a record El Niño storm looms. Across California, the cyclical weather phenomenon is expected to bring as much as two times last winter’s rainfall.
Chestnut Fire Station, at 7070 Chestnut St., is providing sand and sandbags for residents, who are asked to bring their own shovels.
But on Dec. 21 and 22, residents were able to pick up pre-filled sandbags.
“Captain Roy Shackle got together with Gilroy Unified School District to have some high school kids come in and help pre-fill sandbags,” Gilroy Fire Department division chief Colin Martin said. “It also helps them with their community service hours.”
City crews are prepared to place sandbags in areas across the city that are prone to flooding. Sandbags can prevent flooding in low-level areas, such as basements or garages, and are effective in stopping up to one foot of water.
The city is also monitoring streams and creeks for potential flooding. Elevation marks on Luchessa Bridge’s piers will alert the city to surges in Uvas Creek, which in the past has flooded after heavy rainfall. City crews have also cleaned trash from Miller Slough, which runs from Las Animas Park through the east side of the city.
“We’ve mapped all the storm drain inlets and we’re busy cleaning out the leaves and trash so that the water can drain down without being plugged up,” city operations manager David Stubchaer said.
“There are storm drains that go underneath the levee, but they have one-way valves, so [water] can go from the townside, through the pipe, to the creek but it can’t come back.”
If storm drains are not properly cleaned, streets and roadways may flood in heavy rain. The city’s traffic department is busy waterproofing stoplights and crosswalk signals.
“Typically what happens is that when the rain comes down a lot, if we do get flooding, electrical systems turn off,” city traffic engineer Henry Servin said. “So we want to make sure that essential services stay on.”
Residents can tune in to 1610AM or watch cable channel 17 for emergency alerts. The city’s office of emergency services has also recently rolled out a Twitter account, @GilroyOES, that will also provide information in case of an emergency. For tips on how to protect your home from a flood, visit Santa Clara Valley Water District’s website at valleywater.org.
