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Pleasanton has launched a citywide storm preparedness campaign that aims to help residents and businesses take practical steps to protect their properties, reduce flood risks and stay informed ahead of this winter’s predicted Super El Niño.
“Preparing for severe weather is a shared responsibility, and making early preparations can make a meaningful difference,” Pleasanton Interim City Manager Joe Calabrigo said in a Oct. 28 press release about the campaign, dubbed Storm Watch.
The campaign will use the city’s website, newsletters and social media pages to communicate preparedness tips, reminders and other storm-related information.
Pleasanton is taking several proactive measures to prepare for the winter storms, staff said, including having city workers inspect and clean storm drains, clear debris and maintain drainage infrastructure in order to help reduce the risk of flooding. The city said crews will continue monitoring weather conditions and will respond to any storm-related concerns throughout the rainy season.
But Calabrigo said it is also up to residents to be proactive, rather than reactive, when these storms hit the region.
“City crews are working to prepare critical infrastructure, and we encourage residents and businesses to do their part,” Calabrigo said.
The city has already begun offering free sand and sandbags to residents and businesses at the city’s Operations Services Department, located at 3333 Busch Road. According to the city, those materials are available to residents 24 hours a day, seven days a week; households and businesses will be limited to 10 sandbags each.
The city is also encouraging residents and businesses to report drainage concerns, keep storm drains clear of any debris and sign up for emergency-alert services such as AC Alert.
“Check gutters, downspouts and private drainage facilities on your property to ensure free flow of water,” Calabrigo said. “Take advantage of available resources and stay informed to help keep our community safe.”
Experts expect the Super El Niño to significantly impact California over the next six months to a year, including bringing extreme storms and floods, as well as atmospheric rivers, to most of Southern California, according to the United States Geological Survey website.
The city last month launched its “Be Ready, Pleasanton” campaign, sending out information to the community and city staff about signing up for emergency alerts, knowing their evacuation zones and how to make an emergency plan so they’re ready for disasters like fires, storms and earthquakes.
Pleasanton emergency services manager Leo Lopez told the City Council in October that the city had also improved its emergency preparedness page by moving evacuation maps higher on the website and had formalized its first-ever Pleasanton Emergency Preparedness Committee, which used to just be an ad hoc disaster preparedness working group.
For more information on the Storm Watch campaign and preparedness resources, visit CityofPleasantonCA.gov/Storm-Watch.
