When I moved to California in the 1980s, I recall hearing a retired weatherman who first began covering CA in the 1930s.

He said "It will never rain the average amount. You can add up all the totals and come up with an average number, but it will never actually rain the average number. It will either be a wet year or dry year, feast or famine. Don't panic or fret, it's just the way CA weather is."

I recall being puzzled when I heard it, but he nailed it.

Thank you community members who came out to volunteer today! Your kind acts have helped many home bound neighbors and others who couldn’t get to the sand bags.

Tomorrow
Palo Alto -
Monday Jan 2 from 8:30a-10:30a come join Vice Mayor Lydia Kou at Rinconada Tennis Courts, corner of Newell Road and Hopkins Avenue to continue to fill more sandbags.

Remember to wear waterproof clothing and sturdy shoes, bring a shovel and bucket if you have them, if not you can show up and help.

East Palo Alto-
In preparation for the expected storm later this week, the City is seeking volunteers to help fill and assemble sandbags. Rubber boots are recommended. Anyone interested please report to 150 Tara Road tomorrow 1/2 from 8am - 12pm. Thank you for your help!

Thank you to City staff and all the volunteers. We're grateful for your hard work to keep us safe.

Thank you also to Sue Dremann for the visuals on the creek--yikes!

Happy New Year everyone. Stay safe!

re: "...The cleanup is not just reactive but also proactive..."

I'm a bit confused. What has the city been doing since the last rain a couple of weeks ago? They had plenty of notice about this storm. They could have been out for the last couple of weeks doing preparation.

/marc

Great for those kids volunteering! Maybe they can take over updating the web sites re where sandbags are actually available, that people should bring their own shovels, etc., etc. since the City and the City Manager's huge Communications Staff with an estimated $3,000,000 (as of a few years ago) didn't.

Maybe the city's waiting for the consultant's report on if people really consult web sites during emergencies, if current information is actually beneficial or it's preferable to have people driving around searching for sandbags and/or sand during storms.

[Post removed.]

@MyFeetz, Perhaps you can coordinate a community effort to share that sand with the City since there's obvious need as per the Community Sandbag Status Report the PAPD just sent:

Crews are working on replenishing sandbag supplies at all Palo Alto locations by this afternoon. We are aware that supplies are depleted at this time

This headline may be a tad misleading considering the potential impact of the Jan 4-5 upcoming storm. Please update reporting regarding potential impact from this week's storm on Wed-Thurs.

Again, congratulations to the kids -- and to Vice Mayor Kou -- for being proactive.

I just found the following on Facebook in the "Our Town Palo Alto Group" and it's obviously too late to join them.

This was posted by Mora Oommen:

"Thank you to all who volunteered to fill sandbags today- so grateful.
Tomorrow Monday Jan 2 from 8:30a-10:30a come join Vice Mayor Lydia Kou at Rinconada Tennis Courts, corner of Newell Road and Hopkins Avenue to continue to fill more sandbags. YCS will have hot chocolate and some munchies for the early birds.
Remember to wear waterproof clothing and sturdy shoes, bring a shovel and bucket if you have them, if not you can show up and help.
Email [email protected] for more info.
Happy New Year!

@Online Name, Why am I not getting these updates? I'm using the eyeball method of gauging if water is going to flood my neighborhood. I gave some of my (empty) bags to one neighbor who was leaving town and he filled them and planted them at his front door on Thursday. They got rained on but there's been no flooding. So I am holding on to the remaining bags, but will deliver them wherever you say they need to go if they are still needing them as a last resort. As gary25 said, it would be nice to get an update from the city as to status of location of bags AND sand. BEFORE the flooding begins. But I'm depending on good insurance more than anything else.

PS I just re-found the flood stage chart. Information overload.

@MyFeelz, as to why you're not getting these updates, are you on Facebook and if so, are you a member of the "Our Town Palo Alto" group?

If not, that's why because that's the ONLY place I saw that announcement -- and I saw it too late to join the the kids and Ms Kou.

In fact the San Jose Mercury News had to update its Bay Area list of Where To Get Sandbags with a footnote eliminating Palo Alto, noting PA hoped to get them for a single location -- the airport -- this afternoon. Web Link

NOTE:
The City of Palo Alto announced on Twitter that all Palo Alto sites are depleted on sandbag supplies as of 10:11 a.m. Monday morning. The city says it hopes to have replenished supplies by the afternoon.

I tapped link to sign up for City PA alerts. It just brings me to city page where there is a write up about the 31st storm. It’s actually Nixel Web Link and not the city. It’s the city’s responsibility to get us the quickest link to alerts and not sifting through all the blah, blah, blah. Up front can’t it be simple, City of PA . Big storm coming, prepare, sign up w Nixel a Thankfully the city removed the “Good News, The water has receded.’ That was really stupid. BTW to sign up for Nixel you have to have all physical address, phone, email or it won’t allow registration. The city has not listed where the traditional unhoused can get temp shelter with The Bomb Cyclone coming and a 24 hour downpour . Really stingy. Only those who have “homes” w water damage can get a hotel. Not a human being exposed to life threatening weather. One can get a hotel only if you already have shelter.... alt reality. This is a good detail summary of the coming storm and worth a watch here. Web Link For all of California and the SF Bay Area . How about the city pay for three nights at “select” hotels for the permanently unhoused for safety, warmth and away from danger? Why not??? Why only those who have housing can get a hotel on the city tax payer dime?? Can’t those who got flooded in their shelter and did not use the hotel option give their 3 day stay to an unhoused? Common city use your tax payer brains . Stating to hear the wind whip up now. Where are our most vulnerable at this moment. Give them a hotel, please do right by a cold, wet, water logged human who has no local shelter to go to?

@Online Name I'm not on facebook or twitter so that explains why I'm not getting your local alerts. I'm following it on local TV news channels, but I am going out of town tomorrow morning and have no idea if or when I will make it back. Just to Tracy but there could be floods. I will take my remaining sandbags (only 9 left) wherever you say they can need them most.

@Native To The Bay ... there's no compassion in a city that operates in self-serving mode. Why would they house the houseless? Because they would rather spend money on residents who already have shelter from the elements. It's inconvenient to live in a waterlogged abode but they do it all the time from Texas to Florida. Nobody in those states are putting residents in hotels until the weather stops. Good to be well-off, eh?

It's been 25 years since the last major flood in 1998 where 400 houses had to move out were inhabitable until remodeled. Let's encourage the city to complete the Newell Bridge replacement project so then Chaucer Bridge can be replaced and we can reduce flood risk by 4X.

Nextdoor is full of advice, comments from those who have been through it before, requests for help with sandbags, and a sad commentary about a fallen tree reported to the City who is arguing as to whether it is Palo Alto or East Palo Alto's problem. People are eagerly trying to help out and help others which is wonderful. But getting response from the City about a fallen tree near the creek seems to be problematic.

The City should have an emergency report system on the website, or a Facebook group or something similar to pass on information and it should be monitored by City staff to get things moving when necessary. All these people working at City Hall with vague job titles should find at least one person who can monitor and pass on information to the correct city department.

City Website including Flood Maps: Web Link

Maybe this is the actual legit reason for Shikada to have a city-wide shelter in place tomorrow. [Portion removed.]

If anything to relieve non-essential travel city streets, ECR, 101, 280 etc road ways for emergency vehicles, Utilities, Cal-trans police to be able to move throughout city for emergency safety reasons.

@MyFeelz and @Native, I found this quote on the PARA website concerning unhoused folks. Seems a bit buried at the bottom of the page, so more direct outreach could be done. Not the city's program, but it's at least something.

"If you were unhoused or living in a vehicle during this storm, please call the Here4You Hotline to get a bed in a local shelter: (408) 385-2400 (Open 9 a.m. - 7 p.m)"

Web Link

@MyFeelz. Those homed residents who have access to the 3 days of paid hotel stay AND who choose not to use it might give those three days back to the City, to then give to the "traditionally" unhoused.

Of course it's all about liability and insurance and equity. The homeless have nothing so why give them anything? The most vulnerable including elderly and women, might actually survive the storm given a warm, dry safe motel room. PA a could refer to the short-term program, "Unhoused, Palo Alto 3 day Room Key"

Yet since one of our long time own senior, unhoused froze to death on a Cambridge sidewalk, in the early morning of Feb 28, 22 (ironically the very morning of the County homeless count) and the City did nothing in his honor and did not even acknowledge the tragedy.

Best I can tell, the backwards dynamic between the CM and CC started with Benest, got worse with Keene, and is worsening still under Shikada. In all that time, under those three City Managers, the Chaucer bridge did not get fixed. Connect the dots.

CC needs to at least start the process of reversing this trend.

As for mayor: the recent storm underscored who on CC has a tireless service orientation towards the residents of Palo Alto. And that person is Vice Mayor Kou. She put herself front and center helping people and filling sand bags. This sort of above and beyond dedication is typical of Kou. I hope her Council colleagues recognize that and vote her in as our new mayor.

@Annette makes excellent points about Vice Mayor Kou and the "backward dynamic" in the City Manager's office. I was surprised not to see her photo here in a montage of the volunteers recruited by the kids.

It's worth repeating the call for an "Ask The City Manager" session at each City Council meeting where questions are asked and answered starting with next Monday's meeting.

"The city's Creek Monitor webpage provides real-time information and video of local creeks' water levels."

Real-time?? I followed your link and it takes me to the same still photo of the water under the bridge we've seen for days. Specific pointers please to the videos and real-time updates appreciated.

"Several streets and intersections along the creek were closed on Dec. 31 due to flooding. El Camino Real remained flooded and closed in both directions under University Avenue on Monday afternoon."

Real time update: Today's Tuesday afternoon and El Camino remains closed although the water's gone and no crews are working there, no trucks, just sawhorses. As of 2:30 PM Tuesday, traffic's backed up through multiple ECR light changes as I discovered trying to head south after Stanford Shopping Center,

I just made the mistake of trying to get on ECR to go south after Stanford Shopping Center.

Hi Everyone,

The city is hearing that folks aren't getting adequate responses to flood-related concerns. So please help us spread the word that the city is updating its homepage (top left) with "flood alert" information. (The url is here: Web Link The most recent update was just under two hours ago.

And to report a specific problem, call the appropriate intake number:

• For blocked storm drains, sink holes, landslides, levee damage, and fallen trees, call Palo Alto Public Works at (650) 496-6974 on weekdays from 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. and (650) 329-2413 after hours.
• For gas leaks and sewer spills, call Palo Alto Utilities Water, Gas, Wastewater Operations at (650) 329-2579.
• For power outages and electrical problems, call Palo Alto Utilities Electric Operations at (650) 496-6914.

Finally, be smart and safe out there. More rain is coming and we need to look out for each other and ourselves.

Julie Lythcott-Haims

Great job by Vice Mayor Kou and Mayor Burt who was actually at the Pope-Chaucer bridge.

Where has been our new Valley Water representative, Ms. Rebecca Eisenberg been in all of this? Valley Water is responsible for flood control on the Santa Clara side. She has NEVER attended any San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority meetings [as per actual attendance records].

What she did say on NextDoor with respect to the huge fallen tree on Newell is that "I am optimistic that the new PA City Council similarly will value science over politics" How has the old City Council with leaders like the current Mayor and Vice Mayor contributed to the flooding?

What we did hear is the Ms. Eisenberg supports taking down the both Newell and Pope-Chaucer bridge [which might reduce flood risk at the tradeoff of making it hard on our neighbors], is violently against any dams [which in the case of the San Francisquito Creek attenuate flood waters] but believe that beavers could be the solution. We might have gotten this wrong and if so apologize in advance.

I would like to complement whoever has done the alert system. I know not everyone got alerts but we did.

Thanks Julie. Palo Alto biz landlords and owners have to be prepared too. I work two jobs in old delapitaded building. Both of these roofs began leaking the day before News Eve and on News Years. Given many biz are in harms way. Are sandbags available to PA Iz too. Deferred maintenance over pandemic and drought years and commercial landlords not doing repairs to their properties makes many small biz vulnerable. After several calls to the commercial property owner they did make temp roof repair. Yet not in time for some retail product to be drenched. One of the leaks was near main electrical outlet to phone and computers. Commercial property owners must communicate w their rent paying tenants too and supply needed sand bags to avoid flooding and water damage. Especially along ECR South PA corridor where ECR is the waterway for flash runoff lapping against storefront doors! Celia’s Mexican Restaurant for one. As well because it’s work day and gets dark early for non essential workers leaving work before dark and the worst part of storm, wind unseen flooding might be an advisory. So many of low-wage workers commute long distances to PA to do mani-pedi’s work or clean houses etc. projected loss of life from NOA — stay safe . A $20 an hour job ain’t worth getting stranded from our loved ones!!

@Julie LH,

“So please help us spread the word that the city is updating its homepage (top left) with "flood alert" information. (The url is here: Web Link The most recent update was just under two hours ago.”

Maybe it’s just me but the url you posted is a broken link with “oops” 404 message. The numbers you posted are very helpful though.

Dumb question, can storm drains be added in the future, or is this a fixed thing. Also, why do we still use sandbags? aren’t there some industrial level barriers that can be put out for vulnerable areas?

@resident3 you mean like the yellow boons during Gulf oil spill. Sandbags are the best defense for it’s concrete in concrete sand. Weighted and non soluble . Don’t sweat the small stuff resident — do what will have leaste damage.

I am worried about local PA small biz and low-wage workers commute tomorrow. Many private schools closing in SF tomorrow. Good call. Kiddo’s can’t be stranded at day care centers or school sites tomorrow.

City of PA alert if not needed to be at work no need to risk life and limb on flooded , closed roadways for minimum wage job. This is not just a wet winter rain. This is unprecedented. Better safe than sorry. And it will keep roads less congested for emergency services to pass and to work without risk of more accidents!!

[Post removed.]

Re: "...For blocked storm drains, sink holes, landslides, levee damage, and fallen trees, call Palo Alto Public Works at (650) 496-6974 on weekdays from 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. and (650) 329-2413 after hours...."

Tried that on Saturday to tell them that the drains on Middlefield between Towle and East Meadow were backed up. Still have not seen anyone come by to clear the leaves.

/marc

@Marc665 Those workers have been steadily present & working at keeping drains clear at Stanford Shopping Center so Gucci, Norman, Bloomingdales, Prada, Cartier shops ect can keep their clientele well satisfied and not have to notice or stress about thier porches, range rovers, Lambos, McClarens dry and safe while we drown out here in the City of PA!

[Post removed.]

[Post removed. Successive comments by same poster are not permitted.]

@Native to the Bay,

One of the links gives more details about the Wednesday opening of Rinconada as a community resource center. I don’t see news about shelters for unhoused or if the City or county are on it.

“Community Resource Center to Open Wednesday
A Community Resource Center will open at Rinconada Library’s Embarcadero Room in the afternoon on Wednesday, January 4 through to Thursday, if residents need a warm and dry location away from their home to relocate and gather. Visitors can also charge devices, use a laptop, find a hotel, and determine next steps.“

“I’ve filled pots w water and have lots of batteries. “ good idea

"@Julie LH,

“So please help us spread the word that the city is updating its homepage (top left) with "flood alert" information. (The url is here: Web Link The most recent update was just under two hours ago.”

Maybe it’s just me but the url you posted is a broken link with “oops” 404 message. The numbers you posted are very helpful though."

Many of us have been critiquing the city's website, xiring specific misinformation, dead leads, incomplete and/or late alerts .,,

Please read back to see our comments. The city desperately needs to improve and save us all the hassle of playing "Find the Sandbags" on neighborhood lists, FaceBook groups, NextDoor, etc.Those groups are much more current than the city's plus they're sharing photos, videos, coordinating volunteer efforts like the one with Lydia and the kids and neighbors.

The City Manager has a huge Communications Staff with a budget estimated at $3,000,000 in the other newspaper when the publisher was complaining about not getting answers and stonewalling. Bloggers like Diana Diamond publishing here has numerous articles detailing the non-answers she's been getting for the past year.

“Storm preparations continue. A multi-departmental City response is continuing to prepare for the upcoming storm and are in regular communication with our regional partners regarding preparations” And who are those regional partners? A saw horse or detour sign. Give us the concrete names of those partners?? I am afraid PA have depleted & exhausted those said “regional partners”. We’ll be the floating island of a busted bubble. Partnerships r not PA . On our own w no leader helming the ship. Neighbor 2 neighbor. Yet if your housing insecure or entirely unhoused or living in a vehicle along ECR or other arterial street, good luck. Crap out. Palo Alto Mountain View Bay Lands in an RV bah by?

This topic is becoming useless with all the censorship. Why would we want to share information with each other during a disaster??
----------------------------------------------------------------------

A specific example of the city'sd delay in updating its information: Yesterday I -- like many others -- got stuck in the El Camino / Stanford Center traffic jam when returning from lunch at around 1:30/2:00 because people trying to get around the closure under the University Ave bridge by taking the University Ave bridge OVER the closure.

At 5:04 == 3+ hours later -- the PAPD sent an advisory that all of University Ave was backed up due to an ALL-DAY project in East Palo Alto where they were removing debris.

@online name,

"This topic is becoming useless with all the censorship. Why would we want to share information with each other during a disaster?"

I see the exchanges this morning around 7 am were all swept off and some pretty good humor from @ Native went with it. @Native you were on a roll. The post on the city's IT was appropriate. For the recent raises, it doesn't seem right to have to be directed to the "top left" corner of a full page that has a big "oops."

Humor? "Palo Alto don't need no steekin' humor." Or fun. What a way to encourage posting and/or build traffic here and/or to understand community concerns with the free sharing of information.

Obviously, we need more paid consultants and surveys on our priorities instead.

Web Link Atmospheric bomb pointed straight at us, this is where the rubber meets the road, kids. My trip today was aborted because it just wasn't clear whether I could get back without turning my car into a pontoon boat. I see the sandbag scavenger hunt has clues now for residents who need them. The creek's free of refrigerators and waiting to collect a stove, microwave, and a dinette to make a set for a televised kitchen/dining room rehab. Other than that, it is nice kite weather. I don't have a pontoon boat but I do have some beach balls and inflatable unicorn for flotation. All that windy rain is getting the windows in those hard-to-reach areas clean. I can see clearly now. Will sing the rest of that song when the weather is dry.

@onlinename. I had a strong “feeling” my posts would be deleted. Especially the one about insane App “clarity”. Oh well all water over the bridge. @MyFeelz the real & danger show is household appliance getting clogged at critical bypass water flow points. But hey I got my new stove— the electrical surges still hardening & snapping my household light & coffee maker cords. But what else is new!! Is all old again. I stayed up until watching the said “Bomb” hit yesterday morning a practiced my writing skills.

@ resident3 especially feeling the vibe about Dorthy Day of last Century. City is guaranteeing up to 3 days hotel stay for the non-traditional affected by floods. They’ll get the “transient” tax on that of course. But not the traditional actual human unhoused transient — tax. There is no local tax attached to the unhoused just all the billions of state, county associated costs w NOT homing for a few days of life saving shelter for our “traditionally” unhoused. Plenty of our human Palo Altan’s seeking any kind of dry overhang available. Mid-Century redesign of Riconada over there by Billionaire Row (in or near Newell) is offering a respite for them residents, until 8 tonight if you have a laptop, A-Smart phone & cord w a validated Palo Alto home, street address. Like I posted before, the App Start up “Clarity” not up and running yet 4 our 171,000 California unhoused and does not — from the looks of it — support the Obama phone platform. The Obama era go, secure and easy to use mobile device for the unhoused.

@ Oh too the ultra rich zip code neighborhood of Duvenek Elementary (a namesake for the Quaker, liberal family that historically has done so very much for our poor families, East Palo Alto too) was flooded. Frank & Josephine Duveneck now in Quaker Heaven, are crying for a said “community” turning their backs on the very easterly population they sweated and worked their entire lives to support, build and help survive !

May I suggest listening to “The Wind” by The Pat Matheney Group. Had the pleasure of this performance live in summer of 1985 in NYC at Hudson and 11th Ave as an encore song, and a lightening & thunderstorm rolled in over the entire stage and city. One of the most levitating experiences ever!

Better yet, listen to A Bay Area born band, SF based Santana “Soul Sacrifice” live from Woodstock. A team effort at the precipice of success. Nothing like it. Prepare, beware and dig in to the groove! Joy is so far and in between !