This weekend will be a wet and windy one for the Bay Area, and local agencies are preparing for potential flooding that could accompany the last and biggest of a series of storms that is expected to culminate Sunday.
Morgan Hill residents and business owners who fear their property is in danger of flooding due to the heavy rains can prepare for the downpour with sandbags that are supplied at three self-serve locations.
Sand, empty bags and shovels are available at Edes Court near the city’s corporation yard, and on Old Monterey Road near the El Toro Fire Station, according to the city’s website.
On Thursday, the city opened up a third self-serve sandbag station closer to downtown businesses – on Depot Street in the Caltrain parking lot, according to City Engineer Karl Bjarke.
The supplies are offered by the City and the Santa Clara Valley Water District.
The National Weather Service issued a special weather statement warning of a “series of slower moving, wet, and windy Pacific storms (that will) impact the Bay Area with the expectation of significant rainfall and flooding concerns.”
The first of the two latest storms was expected to bring steady rainfall to the area starting Thursday night and into Friday morning, according to the NWS. About 1 to 2 inches of rain are forecast for the South Bay during that storm, with about 4 to 6 inches at higher elevations.
After a break in the rainfall Friday night, another storm is expected later Saturday and into Sunday, the NWS forecasted. That storm could bring up to 2 inches of rain to Morgan Hill as well.
Downtown Morgan Hill and areas north and south are prone to flooding during heavy rains due to Upper Llagas Creek’s lack of capacity to carry the runoff from long, torrential downpours.
City staff do not think the forecast through Sunday will be enough to flood the downtown because it is still early in the season, Bjarke said.
But residents and city staff have been surprised before. In 2009, for example, downtown Morgan Hill flooded Oct. 13 when more than seven inches of rain fell in less than 24 hours, resulting in more than $100,000 in public property damage.
In preparation for this week’s rain, city crews cleared debris out of storm drains and prepared generators in case they are needed, Bjarke said. City staff is also prepared to close any roads in town that might flood.
A skeleton crew will be on hand in the city through the weekend to address flooding concerns, with more staff on hand if widespread flooding or other problems occur, Bjarke said.
For more information on flood safety and preparation, visit the SCVWD website at www.valleywater.org.
