Storm Preparations Underway In Walnut Creek; Where To Get Sandbags

WALNUT CREEK, CA — The City of Walnut Creek’s Public Works Department has been working hard to clear storm drains and help prepare for what is expected to be a major storm rolling in Wednesday and Thursday, city officials said Tuesday.

On Saturday, the City Manager activated the City’s Emergency Operations Center for several hours during the height of the weekend storm.

City officials said sandbags continue to be a good option for homes or businesses for those who anticipate flooding from the storm.

The city has restocked sandbag supplies throughout Walnut Creek and will continue to check and replenish supplies. Residents need to bring a shovel, but the sand and bags are free. For residents, sandbags are available at five locations in Walnut Creek:

• Lancaster Road near Orchard Lane
• Heather Farm Park Community Center parking lot (north end)
• Larkey Park parking lot
• Howe Homestead Park parking lot
• Rudgear Park parking lot

In addition, the Golden Rain Foundation is opening a sandbag station in the parking lot of its fitness center for residents of the community of Rossmoor.

More information can be found on the City’s flood preparedness website. Be sure to register for emergency alerts by texting WCALERT to the number 888-777. You’ll then be able to receive time-sensitive notifications.

City officials said preparation by the City crews last week in advance of Saturday’s storm made the weekend’s rains less damaging than they could have been, and the City is urging residents to follow the same steps around homes and businesses.

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.

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.