ALAMEDA COUNTY, Calif. — Another storm is heading toward the West Coast, bringing with it the potential for more downed trees. While it may not be as severe as the previous round of storms, meteorologists say it’s still important to take precautions.
The National Weather Service has issued a high wind advisory for the greater Bay Area, forecasting gusts between 35 to 40 miles per hour to accompany the rain from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow, March 28. Meteorologist Sarah McCorkle said the combination of strong winds and saturated soil from recent rains could uproot trees and create road hazards.
“Stay aware, especially during the morning commute when things could be windy,” McCorkle said. “Use extra caution when driving.”
The upcoming storm is expected to be less severe than the previous storms this month because it’s a cold front, unlike the earlier atmospheric river storms. Atmospheric rivers are like rivers in the sky, bringing heavy precipitation upon reaching land, while cold fronts are boundaries between masses of cold and warm air. Cold fronts cause temperature drops and may come with gusty winds, heavy rain, or snow, but they are typically shorter in duration than atmospheric rivers and less associated with significant precipitation.
Last week’s storm downed about 40 to 50 trees in Hayward and about 43 in Fremont, with no reports of major flooding. However, the storm the week prior caused widespread flooding in Newark and Fremont, resulting in the temporary closure of a section of Highway 880 on March 12. Powerlines and trees were knocked down in Union City during that storm, affecting almost 6,500 customers, including city hall, on March 14. Trees crashed into homes, apartment complexes and even the Tri-City Animal Shelter during the recent storms.
Despite that, the city of Fremont’s spokesperson Geneva Bosques wrote in an email that the January storms caused much more damage, downing almost three times as many trees as the March storms.
“This year’s storm is definitely not like anything we have experienced in a long time,” Bosques wrote.
This year has been the 15th wettest on record in Alameda County, delivering almost 5 inches of rain over what is typical for this time of year, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System. The wet weather has pulled most of California, including Alameda County, out of the drought.
Resources
If you see a downed power line, leave the area immediately and call 911 and then Pacific Gas & Electric at 800-743-5000.
Call 511 or visit www.511.org for information about road conditions.
Tri-City area
Report broken water mains to Alameda County Water District at 510-668-6500.
Report sewer emergencies to Union Sanitary District at 510-477-7500.
Report flooding of Alameda Creek to the Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District at 510-670-5480.
Fremont
Report fallen trees and debris on the side of the road to Public Works between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at 510-979-5700 and the Fremont Police Department non-emergency line at any other time at 510-790-6800 ext. 3.
Report a traffic signal outage to Transportation Engineering at 510-477-7500.
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Newark
For flooding and downed trees, call the city’s Maintenance Division during business hours at 510-578-4806 and the Newark Police Department’s non-emergency line after hours at 510-578-4237.
Residents and businesses can get up to 10 sandbags for free while supplies last at 37440 Filbert Street during normal business hours. Bring your own shovel and contact the Newark Service Center at 510-578-4806.
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Union City
Report downed trees, floods and other storm-related hazards to the Union City Police Department by calling its non-emergency line at 510-471-1365 and selecting option No. 3.
Residents can get up to five sandbags during business hours at the city’s Corporation Yard at 34650 7th Street and the fire station at 33555 Central Avenue.
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Hayward
Report downed trees and floods to the Hayward Street Division on weekdays between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. at 510-881-7745 and to the Hayward Police Department’s non-emergency line at 510-293-7000 after hours.
Households can get up to six pre-filled sandbags and local businesses can get up to 10 sandbags for free at 16 Barnes Court while supplies last. A self-fill sandbag station is available at the same location.
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