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Mayor Breed and City Leaders Issue Preparedness Tips as Winter Storm Season Begins
12/15/2023
[ Article originally appeared in www.sf.gov ]
Mayor London N. Breed and leaders from across the City today issued a winter storm reminder for residents, businesses and property owners about City resources available to assist small businesses and residents as San Francisco and the Bay Area anticipate heavy rain beginning this weekend and next week. Last year, San Francisco experienced unprecedented storms causing significant flooding, mudslides, and power outages that impacted local streets, public buildings and infrastructure, residences, businesses, and community facilities. “San Francisco is preparing for another wet winter. With erratic and unpredictable weather patterns caused by climate change, we are encouraging to residents and businesses to to take steps to prepare so we are ready for what comes,” said Mayor London Breed. “While we are investing $632 million to upgrade our water infrastructure to help reduce the risk of flooding in the future, we need to continue to prepare and plan ahead to minimize the impacts right now. I know our City crews are working hard to prepare, and we want to make sure residents have the resources as well.” The Mayor and City Departments, including the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), Public Works, Department of Emergency Management (DEM) and public safety partners are asking residents, businesses and property owners to begin making winter storm preparations. While flooding is not anticipated over the next week, there are low-lying areas throughout the City that are prone to flooding after heavy rainfall. The SFPUC will continue to clear storm drains proactively and monitor spots across the City throughout the storm, with a particular focus on low-lying areas. Crews are ready to clear debris and keep stormwater runoff moving through the system. Sandbags Available for Residents and Businesses Public Works will provide San Francisco residents and businesses up to 10 free sandbags leading up to and during severe rainstorms. They are intended for properties prone to flooding.
More information may be found at https://www.sfpublicworks.org/sandbags. If your business does experience flooding or other storm-related damage, here are some steps you can take:
For more information, please visit this page. How You Can Help
Preparedness Tips Before a storm:
During a storm:
After a storm:
Businesses and Property Owner Resources San Francisco has a variety of resources available for businesses, homeowners and property owners:
“As city departments prepare for the wet weather season, it is important that we all do what we can at home to be ready for the next severe storm,” said Mary Ellen Carroll, Executive Director for the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management. “Now is a great time to take stock of your emergency supplies and plan for things like power outages and flooding. Helping friends and family who may need assistance preparing for storms is equally important. And know what to do during a severe storm emergency by signing up for AlertSF, San Francisco’s official emergency alert system.” “We have teams clearing storm drains across the city, and our crews will be working day and night throughout the rain to manage stormwater,” said SFPUC General Manager Dennis Herrera. “We’re also making major investments in infrastructure to minimize the impacts of increasingly intense storms on our communities. But the climate is changing faster than infrastructure can be upgraded. It’s important for residents and businesses to partner with us and take steps to protect their properties. We have resources to help, and together we can make a difference.”
“We have teams on the ground now clearing storm drains and pruning trees. During the storms, we’ll have crews working around the clock – with the priority on keeping people safe, protecting property and minimizing transportation-related disruptions,” said Public Works Director Carla Short. “We ask members of the public to be prepared, too. Get sandbags if you think you need them and help keep the storm drains clear by sweeping up any leaves and litter in front of your homes and businesses.” Back To News |
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