Mountain View is offering free sand and sandbags and urging residents to get ready for floods, high winds and power outages as forecasters expect strong El Niño conditions this winter, the Mountain View Voice and the city's newsletter reported.
Why it matters: The city says it's nearly impossible to predict how bad or when the storms will be, so officials want residents to prepare now.
Where to get sandbags
Sand and sandbags are free for Mountain View residents and business owners at the city's Municipal Operations Center, 231 N. Whisman Road, according to the city newsletter. They're available 24/7 during storm season. Bring your own shovel to fill the bags.
Valley Water is also offering sand and sandbags at sites around Santa Clara County, including the Palo Alto Airport terminal at 1925 Embarcadero Road, the Voice reported.
How to prepare
The city suggests these steps:
- Clear leaves from rain gutters, property drains and nearby street drains.
- Move parked cars and basketball hoops off the street so sweepers can pick up leaves.
- Keep a flashlight, extra batteries, a weather radio and non-perishable supplies on hand.
- Sign up for AlertSCC, the county's emergency alert system.
Valley Water, the county's flood protection agency, declared El Niño a local emergency earlier this month, the Voice reported.
Past storms
In 2022, rainwater pooled on El Camino Real because of clogged storm drains, and downed power lines knocked out electricity in some neighborhoods, the Voice reported. More information is at MountainView.gov/ElNino.