Flooding along Guadalupe River, Ross Creek expected
SAN JOSE, Calif. - In the South Bay, Tuesday’s storm is bringing concerns of flooding and an alert to hundreds of residents near Willow Glen in San Jose. City crews are bracing for a busy night and waiting to see what the storm will bring. They have staffed up overnight to respond to downed trees, downed power lines and localized flooding.
City workers spent most of Tuesday evening going to door to door, alerting hundreds of residents living near the Guadalupe River of potential flooding.
"One of the reasons for the alerts is water rising above certain levels," said City of San Jose Community Coordinator Basil Hernandez.
The area is a known hotspot.
"We had one year the water came all the way to our house, we opened the gate and it ran into the front yard," said Carrie Gracey of San Jose.
Emergency officials are closely monitoring Guadalupe River and Ross Creek, letting people know to be prepared to evacuate
"We’re expecting a lot of rain in a short amount of time," said Jennifer Seguin, City of San Jose Dept. of Transportation. "If you think about a bathtub and you turn on the water really high it can only drain so fast our creeks may fill up."
The rivers, creeks and reservoirs are dry because of a dry winter. Tuesday is being the first real storm of the year.
"I’ll see how it goes tonight," said Maria Nakaji of San Jose. "I took my umbrella down, everything down that was going to blow over."
Nakaji will get sandbags if necessary.
"I try to keep everything pretty well cleaned up like my gutters, my main concern is the creek behind me," said Nakaji.
At neighboring Paul Moore Park, the City of San Jose opened a temporary sandbag location. It’s one of two locations in the city of San Jose. The other is at Mabury Service Yard.
The wet, cold and windy weather is also bringing concerns for the homeless.
"We did send outreach teams to reach the unhoused folks that are living on or near the creeks in areas where we are concerned to make sure that they also have the opportunity to evacuate or go somewhere else," said Seguin.
The timing for the storm couldn't be worse for restaurants given the green light Monday to resume outdoor dining.
"We also sell merchandise if patrons are feeling cold, we have scarves, sweaters, we have hats," said Jack’s Co-Owner Rina Trigg.
At Jack’s in San Jose’s Japantown, there is a loyal crowd under the new tent installed after the second shutdown. Trigg is optimistic the tent will sustain the wind and the weather won't dampen sales.
"Now we have the tent, we have heaters, we have propane tanks, backup propane tanks," said Trigg.
An evacuation center has been set up at Camden Community Center, just in case people are evacuated out of their homes and also- for the unhoused.
Azenith Smith is a reporter for KTVU. Email Azenith at azenith.smith@foxtv.com and follow her on Twitter and Instagram @AzenithKTVU or Facebook or ktvu.com.
A list of sandbag distribution sites in the South Bay
Per the city's news release, residents in the potentially impacted areas should take the following precautions:
- Monitor the news and follow the City of San José on Facebook and Twitter for regular updates.
- Be ready and tell neighbors to be ready to evacuate, if needed.
- Protect your property with sandbags
- Seniors or mobility impaired: Ask family or friends to get you now.
- Move valuable items to a higher or secure place
- Consider moving pets now
- Be ready to move your car/s to high ground
- Pack a bag with important documents, medicines, spare clothes.
- Report blocked drains and other storm-related issues at 408-794-1900
County residents can sign up for emergency alerts at www.alertscc.org
Sandbag Locations:
Mabury Service Yard
1404 Mabury Rd
San Jose, CA 95133
Outside Front Gate
Paul Moore Park
1426 Hillsdale Ave
San Jose, CA 95118
Myrtle Ave C/S Cherry Ave
Palo Alto: 1925 Embarcadero Road, adjacent to Palo Alto Air Terminal
Alviso: behind George Mayne Elementary School, 5030 N. 1st Street, (entrance on Wilson Way behind school)
San Jose: City Central Service Yard, 1661 Senter Road at Phelan Ave., San Jose, CA 95122
San Jose: Santa Clara Valley Water District Winfield Warehouse, Winfield Boulevard between Blossom Hill Road and Coleman Avenue, San Jose, CA 95123
Morgan Hill: El Toro Fire Station, 18300 Old Monterey Road
Complete sandbag information from Valley Water