Palo Alto residents urged to prepare properties now ahead of rapidly approaching storm

As a significant storm with heavy rain and wind heads to the region on Wednesday and Thursday, Palo Alto officials are urging residents to take precautions and prepare for downed power lines, fallen tree limbs and possible flooding.

The National Weather Service is predicting a strong storm on Wednesday, with the highest rainfall beginning Wednesday afternoon and lasting overnight into early Thursday morning. The majority of the rain will fall after dark and flooding risk would likely happen during nighttime hours, the city said Tuesday in an online statement. On Wednesday, the city learned through the National Weather Service that there may be a lower flood risk for San Francisquito Creek.

A high-wind watch is also in effect for the same period, with gusts of wind exceeding 50 mph. The National Weather Service noted that similar or worse impacts as those from the New Year’s Eve storm should be expected.

“A multi-departmental city response is continuing to prepare for the upcoming storm and are in regular communication with our regional partners regarding preparations,” the city said.

City crews are readying the storm-drain system while continuing to clean up from Saturday’s storm. They are staging equipment near problematic areas.

San Francisquito Creek was a mere ripple of its former self on Wednesday morning, with water having receded by several feet, but the current’s power from the New Year’s Eve flooding event showed the potential of additional torrents of water that are expected on Wednesday afternoon and night.

Long grass-clump strands embedded on the side of a reinforced section of creek on the Palo Alto side near Woodland Avenue were plastered in green waves against the concrete surface, showing the strong, southerly direction the water flowed nearly to the top. Trees along the creek’s East Palo Alto bank were ripped from the side, lying across the muddy water, calm after so much earlier turbulence.

Staff from East Palo Alto and Palo Alto were working to reinforce and secure troublesome locations along the creek, which is the boundary between both cities. Yellow caution tape at the Newell Road Bridge on the Palo Alto side restricted access to the creek bank on the city’s side, where dozens of people had turned out to watch the roiling water just days before. A police SUV watched over access to the creek from the East Palo Alto side.

Further upstream, a large swath of orange cones along Woodland on the northside of University Avenue stretched from the freeway overpass for nearly a block, cordoning off one lane after East Palo Alto workers had worked with heavy equipment to reinforce the area after floodwater had broken through during the earlier storm. Now, the heavy equipment remained stationed at the location for any additional work that might be necessary if the water rises again.

Palo Alto side streets stretching from University Avenue to Palo Alto Avenue still bore a slick layer of mud from the overflow caused at Pope-Chaucer Bridge, where the city had positioned a backhoe to help clear any logs, trees or debris that might float down to block the bridge in the next storm.

The city also cordoned off access to the creek’s banks, particularly on the Menlo Park side. The impact of the overflow was apparent near this location, where slippery mud still adhered to the sidewalk. Homeowners lined their property lines, driveways, garage doors and doorways with mounds of sandbags from the Santa Clara Valley Water District to help protect their property.

New sandbag station

The city of Palo Alto has set up four sandbag stations ahead of a storm expected to begin on Jan. 4, 2023. Map by Jamey Padojino.

The city has opened a fourth sandbag station, which is located on Palo Alto Avenue at Chaucer Street. Three other sandbag stations are located at the Rinconada Tennis Courts at the corner of Newell Road and Hopkins Avenue, Mitchell Park at 600 E. Meadow Drive, and the Palo Alto Airport Terminal at 1925 Embarcadero Road.

City staff are regularly monitoring sandbag supply levels and are replenishing the stock as needed. The city has some shovels on site, but suggested residents bring their own.

“Please do not overfill the sandbags — they only need to be filled about one-third of the way with sand,” the city said. To learn about how to properly fill a sandbag, visit youtube.com/watch?v=jvEYE7yi_Vw. A video on how to protect a home from water using sandbags can be found from Valley Water.

Community Resource Center to open on Wednesday

The city is also opening a Community Resource Center at Rinconada Library’s Embarcadero Room on Wednesday at 2 p.m. as a warm and dry location away from home where residents can relocate and gather if needed.

Visitors can also charge devices, use a laptop, find a hotel, and determine their next steps. The center is scheduled to stay open overnight through at least 8 p.m. Thursday.

Dam and open space

Stanford University is keeping a close watch on its natural resources.

“Searsville Dam was filled as of last week’s storm, which is typical for a rainy season. When this happens, the dam continues to function as designed, including water safely spilling over the top as it receives water from five tributary creeks that convey runoff from the foothills,” Luisa Rapport, director of emergency communications and media relations, said in an email.

The university is continuing to monitor conditions closely, both at the dam and downstream, and is coordinating closely with the other agencies., she said.

Water that spills over the dam goes into Corte Madera Creek, which is one of the three tributaries of San Francisquito Creek.

Lake Lagunita also has water from foothills runoff, and Stanford expects it to continue to gather as the storms progress.

“We also expect to see more water accumulating in some of our sports fields that are designed to function as detention basins as part of our storm water management system,” she said.

Foothills Nature Preserve is closed on Wednesday and Thursday due to the incoming storm. El Camino Real remains flooded from the Dec. 31 storm and is closed in both directions under University Avenue. The city doesn’t have a timeline for reopening the location. El Camino Real is a state-owned roadway; the city is coordinating with Caltrans, which has primary jurisdiction.

City urges storm preparation now

Residents in flood-risk areas should take precautions and prepare now to protect their homes, particularly if their neighborhood was flooded during Saturday’s storm. The city is asking residents to “please be a good neighbor and offer your assistance to your neighbors if you’re able.”

Residents should stay informed of current and forecast conditions by monitoring changes in the weather forecast. Notifications are available from the city through AlertSCC, Twitter, Facebook, Nextdoor and the Palo Alto Police Department’s Nixle feed. Information can be found at cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/City-Manager/Connect-With-Us. Residents can also track creek water levels at cityofpaloalto.org/creekmonitor.

Anyone with a storm-drain inlet near their home in the street is encouraged to use a rake to clear debris.

Report damage

Residents who have flood damage to their homes from Saturday’s storm event can fill out a form at cityofpaloalto.org/reportstormdamage. Building officials will follow up. The city is also offering three nights of hotel accommodations at select hotels for people confirmed to have been displaced from their homes as a result of flooding. Residents can send an email to stormdamage@cityofpaloalto.org to request accommodations.

To report other hazards, the city is directing residents as follows:

• For flooding, contact the city’s central dispatch center at 650-329-2413 (24 hours a day).

• To report blocked storm drains/sinkholes /landslides/levee damage, call Palo Alto Public Works at 650-496-6974 between 7 a.m.-4 p.m. and call 650-329-2413 after hours.

• To report fallen trees, call Palo Alto Public Works at 650-496-5953 between 7 a.m.-4 p.m. and call 650-329-2413 after hours.

• To report gas leaks and sewer spills, call Utilities Communications at 650-329-2579.

• To report power outages and electrical problems, call Utilities Electric Operations at 650-496-6914.

The city asks everyone NOT to call 9-1-1 unless there is an imminent threat to life or another serious emergency.

Electrical power and gas

Residents are also advised to locate a home’s electrical breaker box and gas turn-off valve. If water floods a home high enough that it might reach electrical outlets or any gas-powered appliance, they should immediately turn off the electrical power to the home by flipping all circuit breakers and turn off the gas.

Residents with cars in flood-prone areas may move their vehicles to surface lots in downtown Palo Alto. Residential preferential parking programs and timed parking regulations are temporarily suspended during the upcoming storm.