Storm Preparations Underway In Concord; Where To Get Sandbags

CONCORD, CA — Meteorologists tracking this storm say flooding in some parts of the Bay Area is likely, as we saw with the last big storm on Saturday.

Concord maintains a 24-hour sandbagging station at its Corporation Yard, located at 1455 Gasoline Alley, and sandbags are free to Concord residents. Residents who are unable to fill their own, such as seniors and persons with disabilities, can make arrangements to pick up pre-filled bags by calling 925-671-3448.

To report flooding on a City street, use the Concord Connect app. Those who have a flood emergency on their street are asked to call 925-671-3448.

Driving In The Rain; Avoiding Flooded Roadways, Storm Debris

City officials reminded residents to stay away from low-lying water areas, creeks and floodplains; and to be aware that high winds and saturated grounds can combine to cause trees and branches to fail suddenly.

Stay clear of trees and downed power lines during the storm. Residents can report trees blocking travel lanes by using the Concord Connect app or calling 925-671-3448. As for downed lines, always assume they are energized and dangerous; report downed lines to 911.

Further, driving through a flooded area puts your vehicle at risk of stalling out and becoming stuck in the water, so please do not drive through standing water, city officials said.

"If you are driving and you hit standing water and begin to hydroplane, immediately take your foot off of the gas pedal and let your vehicle slow until you regain control," the city said. "When driving in heavy storm conditions, give yourself plenty of extra time to get to your destination and maintain a safe distance between yourself and the vehicle in front of you. If your windshield wipers are on, your headlights MUST be on as well."

Power Outages Possible

With heavy rain and strong winds in the forecast, city officials said it is possible Concord could experience a power outage. Residents are encouraged to make sure electronic devices are charged up Wednesday morning in the event of an outage. Outage information will be available for viewing on PG&E's outage map.

Atmospheric River May Result In Loss Of Human Life, Forecasters Say

The entire Bay Area will be under a flood watch beginning Wednesday morning due to a heavy storm system expected to be as bad or worse than Saturday's deluge and which will likely result in the loss of human life, according to a dire forecast update from the National Weather Service.

The update issued Monday afternoon included five key points, with the first one noting a "threat to life likely during this storm." Mudslides are anticipated due to saturated soil, and rapidly rising creeks and streams will pose additional dangers.

A meteorologist shared the following observations in the forecast about the coming storm: "To put it simply, this will likely be one of the most impactful systems on a widespread scale that this meteorologist has seen in a long while. The impacts will include widespread flooding, roads washing out, hillside collapsing, trees down (potentially full groves), widespread power outages, immediate disruption to commerce, and the worst of all, likely loss of human life. This is truly a brutal system that we are looking at and needs to be taken seriously."

The forecast includes an updated threat matrix it classifies as "extreme risk" for conditions expected Wednesday and Thursday, including increased wind gusts, a flood watch that now includes the entire Bay Area and an added forecast Friday through Sunday after the big storm for roughly 1-2 inches of rain in most areas.

Wednesday through Thursday morning will be the worst of the storm, with heavy rain and strong winds with gusts of 35-55 mph in most areas, with stronger gusts at higher elevations.

The flood watch will be in effect from Wednesday morning through Thursday afternoon, with rain amounts expected from 2-4 inches in the valleys, 3-6 inches in the foothills and 8-10 inches in the coastal mountains.

Tuesday was expected to have little to no rain for the region and represents the last opportunity to clean up from Saturday's storm before the next one hits, forecasters said.

For the latest forecast updates, visit Weather.gov/bayarea.

Register here to receive emergency alerts from the Contra Costa Office of the Sheriff.

Find more sandbag-filling stations here.

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.