Heavy rains and winds are expected to hit San Mateo County beginning at noon Thursday and continuing through at least Friday night, posing the threat of flooding, mudslides, and falling trees and branches over the weekend.
The San Mateo County Department of Emergency Management has advised residents to prepare for severe weather, sign up for emergency alerts, monitor weather forecasts, and avoid driving during heavy rain.
"The soils are already saturated from the rains we had in January and February and now we're going to put more water on top of that," said Brian Garcia of the National Weather Service. "The soils are already oozing water, so that will cause flooding and/or mudslides."
The County activated its Emergency Operations Center on Wednesday to coordinate the local response to a storm that the National Weather Service says will likely bring sustained winds of 25 to 35 miles per hour with gusts in the highest elevations possibly reaching 70 mph.
San Mateo County is under a wind advisory and flood watch from 1:00 p.m. Thursday through 4:00 p.m. Friday.
It should be noted that more rains are expected, and the risk of flooding and landslides, during the weekend and until next week.
The County has recommended staying connected and up-to-date on storm-related information and local resources, such as signing up for SMC Alert, which sends emergency messages to email, cell phones and other devices, and landlines.
You can also follow accounts on social networks of authorities such as the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, the county itself, and the National Weather Service for the Bay Area.
In addition, you can find out about road conditions, power outages, park closures and more on web spaces such as: Caltrans traffic information, PG&E power and gas shutoffsThe National Metereological Service, y San Mateo County Parks.
Stay off the roads if you can.
If you must travel, do not drive into flooded areas. One foot of water can float many cars, and two feet of torrential water can wash away most cars, including SUVs and trucks.
Remember to keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. Here are some preparation tips from Ready.gov.
Find sandbag locations
The county is offering sandbags to residents and businesses in the unincorporated areas. Those interested in knowing the places to pick up the bags in the unincorporated areas, as well as a list of places in the cities can access the website by clicking here.
Remember to call ahead to confirm availability and quantities allowed. Please note that sandbags can be reused.
Know your zone
Emergency managers have divided the Peninsula into more than 300 zones on a publicly available online map supported by Zonehaven, a California-based company under contract to San Mateo County. Each zone is assigned a short code. All residents can enter an address to find your zone.
In the event of an emergency, first responders will issue evacuation orders or other orders and warnings depending on the zones. This information will be disseminated through the media, social networks such as Twitter, emergency alert notifications and other platforms.
Authorities have requested only call 9-1-1 only in emergencies such as serious medical problems ?chest pain, seizures, bleeding?, any type of fire ?business, car, building?, life threatening situations ?fights, person with weapons? or to report crimes in progress.
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