Residents and property owners began preparing early this week for an incoming round of storms that forecasters say could drench some areas from Morgan Hill to south San Benito County with more than two inches of rain by Sunday.
As this story goes to press the evening of Jan. 31, the first of these storms was bearing down on the Bay Area and South Valley. National Weather Service Meteorologist Rachel Kennedy said from Wednesday morning into Thursday, Feb. 1, “moderate to heavy rain” will soak Morgan Hill, Gilroy and Hollister.
Between 1 and 1.5 inches of rainfall is expected in some areas—with the mountains receiving the brunt of the storm—from Jan. 31-Feb. 1, Kennedy said.
The NWS has also issued a wind advisory during this storm, with gusts forecast to peak greater than 40 mph from 4am Wednesday to 4am Thursday. A flood watch is also in effect for about the same period.
After a brief break, another storm will bring “fairly light” rainfall from Feb. 2-3, with about .25 inches expected in South Valley, Kennedy said.
As of early this week, NWS forecasters were also tracking yet another system off the coast that is expected to reach landfall on Sunday, Feb. 4. Kennedy said that storm looks like it could bring another round of heavier rainfall to the region, but the coming days will add better clarity to the forecast.
Local cities, counties, water districts and utility companies began preparing as early as Jan. 29 for potential flooding, wind damage and power outages that could result from the wet forecast. In Morgan Hill, the city and Valley Water offer sand and sandbags at two locations—the Morgan Hill Corporation Yard on Edes Court and the El Toro Fire Station on Old Monterey Road.
On Jan. 30, while the sun was still out and the air was dry, Megan Baird stopped at Old Monterey Road to pick up some sandbags for her north Morgan Hill property. Her family has livestock, and the animals’ stalls have been prone to flooding during past storms, Baird said.
PG&E began mobilizing crews on Tuesday to prepare to respond to downed trees, falling debris, damaged power lines and outages.
“We encourage customers to prepare for the storm now,” said PG&E’s Vice President for the South Bay and Central Coast Region, Teresa Alvarado. “Have an emergency plan in case you lose power and update your contact information onPG&E’s website so we can provide you with real-time outage updates in your neighborhood.”
Santa Clara County and the cities of Morgan Hill and Gilroy advised residents this week that local libraries will serve as warming centers for people who need a dry place to hunker down.
“This storm could have hazardous impacts to the county such as flooding, power outages, cold weather illness and more,” said Louay Toma, Santa Clara County’s Acting Deputy Director of the Office of Emergency Management. “The county is working with local and state partners to ensure community members are aware of and prepared for the incoming weather. We remain dedicated to our core mission of safeguarding lives, protecting property, and preserving the environment.”
The combination of heavy rain and gusty winds also raises the likelihood for potential roadway hazards, such as nuisance flooding, slippery roadway conditions and obstruction of roadways due to fallen debris, authorities said. Motorists should delay travel if possible and exercise extra caution when driving in stormy weather.
Those who see downed power lines should assume they are live and dangerous and report them to their public utility. PG&E customers can contact the PG&E customer service center at 1.800.743.5000. To report, track and monitor PG&E electric outages, visit the PG&E Outage Center at pgealerts.alerts.pge.com.
People in Morgan Hill, Gilroy and San Martin who need overnight shelter can call Brian Malicdem at 669.286.0585, email at br************@mo********.gov or call the South County Compassion Center at 408.763.7120 for a referral to the Community Christian Church Overnight Warming Location.
