Weather Alert for Central California
Meteorological forecasts indicate that Central California will experience significant weather disturbances, with powerful winds and substantial rainfall predicted to arrive by Tuesday evening. The Valley region is anticipated to bear the brunt of these conditions.
Municipal Preparations Underway
In Fresno, city authorities are actively implementing measures to safeguard residents from potential flooding hazards. Brian Russell, assistant director for Public Works, explained the challenges: "We have over 1,800 miles of roads here in Fresno and all of them serve as drainage channels to some degree and all of them have storm drains in them with trees that line the street. So, those leaves end up washing down to the storm drains and we gotta clean them out."
Russell identified debris accumulation as the primary concern during storm events. Municipal representatives are advising homeowners to inspect their properties for any objects that might obstruct water flow and contribute to flooding risks.
"On a day like today, rake up the leaves, put them in the green waste container. Make sure that you don't have any trash sitting around, get all that picked up," Russell emphasized.
Infrastructure and Collaborative Efforts
Road maintenance crews have been addressing pothole repairs in anticipation of the inclement weather. Additionally, Fresno has established cooperative agreements with multiple agencies, including the Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District, to enhance flood prevention capabilities.
Jarrod Takemoto, operations engineer, described the flood control systems: "The pump stations allow us to evacuate the storm water out of the basin and downstream to prevent any kind of localized flooding."
Takemoto noted that a detention basin in northeast Fresno has capacity for approximately four inches of precipitation. The district oversees more than 150 drainage zones throughout Fresno County.
"Really, it's all hands on deck from our standpoint, for our staff to make sure that we are protecting the community," Takemoto stated.
Public Reporting Channels
Residents encountering flooded roadways or fallen trees are encouraged to contact authorities through the 3-1-1 service line or utilize the FresGO mobile application for reporting.
