FRESNO (KMJ) — Even more heavy rain is expected to fall on all of us Wednesday, with warnings of high winds and thunderstorms put out by the National Weather Service.
Combined with the weather we’ve already experienced on this first week of January, cities right across the valley say they’re ready for whatever falls from the skies in the next few days.
“Doing all the things in advance wherever possible so that we would be prepared for this”, says the City of Merced’s Mike Conway.
“It was going to be one of those storms that the Weather Service gave us plenty of advanced notice so that we were able to do all the check work before it arrived”.
Further south in Fresno, maintenance crews are already out in force.
“If we see any reports of any kind of significant flooding”, says the city’s Mark Standriff, “we can turn those maintenance workers immediately into our storm SWAT team, go to the areas affected and take care of them immediately”.
The same goes for the City of Visalia – crews there started work at the end of last year to prepare for this very situation.
“Doing some preparation at the bottom of our basins, putting some structures in one of our creeks through the city here where we can percolate water faster into the ground”, says Public Works Director Adam Ennis.
“It helps us collect and dispose of storm water faster but in addition to that it also helps us with ground water recharge and helping the ground water table”.
Residents looking to fill sandbags are asked to bring their own shovels to fill the bags.
The City of Merced has a map to show each sand location, and a full size version can be viewed clicking the image below. Their sites are open 24 hours a day.
Although the City of Fresno isn’t providing sand, Fresno County Residents living close to the cities of Fresno and Clovis can fill bags at Area 7 Road Yard, 9400 N. Matus Ave., open 24 hours.
Those close to Biola can fill bags at the Area 4 Road Yard, 12855 W. G St., open 24 hours.
For residents in the Sanger area, bags can be filled at Area 8 Road Yard, 9525 E. Olive Ave., open 24 hours.
Clovis residents can fill sandbags at the City Corporation Yard, 155 N. Sunnyside Ave.
Further south in Visalia, at Visalia Compressed Natural Gas, next to the city’s Corporation Yard entrance, 335 N. Cain St., open 24 hours.
In Exeter, sand can be found at the Exeter Corporation Yard, 350 W. Firebaugh Ave., open 7 am until 4 pm weekdays.
In Farmersville, sand is available at the Farmersville Public Works Yard, 873 S. Farmersville Blvd., open 6:30 am until 2:45 pm weekdays.
In Woodlake, behind City Hall on 350 N. Valencia Blvd., open 24 hours.
In Dinuba at the Dinuba Public Works Facility on 1088 E. Kamm Ave., open 8 am until 5 pm and at the Dinuba Fire Station on 496 E. Tulare Ave., open 24 hours.
In Lindsay behind the City Services Office at 251 E. Honolulu Ave., open 24 hours.
Fire Stations across Tulare County are offering sand to residents living in unincorporated areas of the county.
Cutler/Orosi Fire Station (40779 Road 128, Cutler), Lemon Cove Fire Station (32490 Highway 198), Three Rivers Fire Station (41412 S. Fork Dr.), Lindsay Fire Station (19603 Ave. 228), Doyle Colony Fire Station (1551 Success Dr.), Earlimart Fire Station (808 E. Washington Ave.), Pixley Fire Station (200 N. Park Dr.), West Olive Fire Station (22315 Ave. 152, Porterville), and Alpaugh Fire Station (3939 Ave. 54).
If you would like to let us know of a sand location we haven’t listed, email the newsroom at news@kmjnow.com.
