Flood Watch & Warning Lifted In San Ramon; Storm Leaves Mess Behind

SAN RAMON, CA — The worst rains cleared up Thursday afternoon in San Ramon, though an Areal Flood Warning was extended from 3:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.

The second atmospheric river left behind several flooded and closed streets full of storm debris. San Ramon is not reporting any street closures as of 4 p.m. Thursday, but in Danville, Front Street north of Diablo Road is closed due to erosion of the creekside embankment. A full closure of Front Street is expected Friday morning to begin repairs, which require stabilizing the embankment and removing a tree.

The heaviest rains began Wednesday afternoon and continued into Thursday morning. As of 3 p.m. Thursday, Danville reported a 24-hour rain total of 1.57 inches, while Dublin recorded 1.73 inches. Gusts as high as 50 mph were reported Wednesday night. In Danville, a tree fell at Clipper Hill Road and Windward Drive Wednesday night, and badly damaged a home, based on photos from the San Ramon Valley Fire District. The fallen tree also caused a power outage affecting six homes, the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District reported.

In San Ramon, 380 PG&E customers living in an area east of 680 between Greenbrook and El Capitan drives lost power from 9:41 p.m. Wednesday well into Thursday morning, one of the largest outages in the Tri-Valley. As of 3:30 p.m. Thursday, just one customer in San Ramon is without power, although the San Ramon police reported issues with traffic lights at 11 a.m.

Along the coast, it was a different story. At the height of the storm, nearly 100,000 PG&E customers were without power. As of 3:30 p.m. Thursday, thousands of customers throughout the Peninsula, North Bay, and around Berkeley and Oakland are still without power.

Two non-mandatory evacuations have been reported near San Ramon. In Danville, residents of the Sycamore Valley Road and north of Paraiso Drive were placed under a cautionary evacuation because their area is so flood-prone, according to Lt. Ron Marley of the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District.

During the New Year’s Eve storm, personnel from the San Ramon Police Department and San Ramon Valley Fire evacuated 13 people around Firecrest Lane due to “severe flooding” and brought them to the Alcosta Senior and Community Center. Some had to be transported via an Armored Rescue Vehicle, SRPD said.

The largest Tri-Valley evacuations came in Sunol. Residents along Kilkare Road, Palomares Road, and Niles Canyon Road were asked to leave their homes Wednesday, according to the Alameda County Office of Emergency Services. The Sunol Glen School, just west of 680 and south Pleasanton Ridge Park, sustained significant damage when Sinbad Creek burst Saturday night and damaged three classrooms, two offices, the garden, the athletic track, and the playground, Sunol Glen Superintendent Molleen Barnes told Danville-San Ramon.

In San Ramon, school staff have been ensuring school buildings are not damaged by the storms. SRVUSD students are set to return from winter break next Tuesday. Monday is expected to bring 11 hours and 1.22 inches of rain as well as gusts of up to 36 mph (following lighter rains over the weekend, and light rains Tuesday) district spokesperson Ilana Samuels told Patch that neither the county nor the district expects the need to close school. Samuels said that the district receives a note from the county’s emergency service office saying that it does not anticipate the need to close any of its schools.

“That being said, we of course are permitted to make our own decision to go virtual/close a school or schools if warranted. At this time, we do not anticipate doing that,” she wrote in an email.

In the meantime, East Bay Regional Parks remains closed as of Thursday. Officials said they will reassess Friday, which is expected to be cloudy and windy but without rain, whether to reopen.

San Ramon Public Works is currently checking hot spots around the city to minimize blockages to creek banks and creek underpasses and culverts. The city said it has prepared in several other ways, including:

• Restocking sandbag stations.
• Cleaning catch basins of debris.
• Patching potholes on Crow Canyon Road, Dougherty Road, and Kimball Avenue.
• Cleaning the tops of basin grates.
• Preparing drainage equipment.
• Conducting emergency response training with staff.
• Calling out for additional staff to be on emergency standby.

See here for a full list.
To report clogged storm drains, downed trees, or flooding call 925-973-2800 (M-F, 8:30-5) or the San Ramon Valley 911 Communication Center at 925-973-2779 after hours.
Sandbags are available at three locations. Residents and businesses are asked to bring a shovel:

• Athan Downs, Montevideo Drive near San Ramon Valley Blvd
• Central Park, Alcosta Blvd adjacent to the San Ramon Community Center
• San Ramon Sports Park, Sherwood Way

A full list of storm preparation tips are available here and at Be Ready SRV, an emergency preparedness collaboration between the Town of Danville, the City of San Ramon, San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District, Contra Costa County, and the San Ramon Valley Unified School District. San Ramon residents can also contact the following numbers:

NON-EMERGENCY

• San Ramon Police: 925-973-2779
• Danville Police: 925-820-2144
• San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District: 925-838-6691

OTHER RESOURCES:

• Contra Costa Animal Services: 925-335-8300
• PG&E: 1-800-743-5000 San Ramon Regional Medical Center: 925-275-9200
• EBMUD: 866-403-2683