You have already been made aware that a series of winter storms are on their way. Here are some tips on getting prepared:
Sandbags are available at the East Palo Alto Corporation Yard on Tara Street (extension of Bay Road across Pulgas) during normal business hours. The attached flyer shows you how to use them, although the sandbag locations listed there will not apply to you.
Clear debris from the storm drain grates in your neighborhood.
Sign up for the free San Mateo County Alert System (www.SMCAlert.info.com) to get emergency notifications on your cell phone or email client.
If you live in the flood plain near the creek or the tidal wetlands (Fordham/Illinois area), monitor the creek level on the Internet. There is also a link there to tide predictions. This is the season for extreme high tides that add to the volume of rain runoff from upstream (if you search for local tide times from Internet sites, search for “Palo Alto Yacht Harbor”):
http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/earlywarning/creekmonitor.html
Winter storms can be accompanied by high winds, resulting in fallen trees and downed power lines. Make sure you have flashlights, a battery-powered AM/FM radio, and extra batteries.
Fully-charge your cell phone, and make sure you car’s gas tank is at least half-full.
While you are preparing for flooding, remember that we live near an earthquake fault, and there is seismic activity all around us. Have at least three days of food and water stocked up. Know how to turn off your water and gas in case there is a leak. The front of your Yellow Pages phone book contains a First Aid and Survival Guide that has useful information on what to do before, during, and after a disaster.
Contributed by Content Manager
