Emergencies & Your Health

  Updated frequently during an emergency.

Heavy rainfall flooded several areas of the greater Bay Area for several hours on on Dec. 31; nine waves of  heavy rainfall, along with high winds (what meteorologists call an atmospheric river) and rapidly dropping barometric pressure (forming a "bomb cyclone") came through in the next three weeks, hammering Northern California.  

Yet another atmospheric river is predicted to hit CA March 19 - 22. Although the worst effects for those storms are expected for southern parts of the state, the Bay Area may see wind damage again, and perhaps flooding in over-saturated areas.

This webpage will be updated with details on major emergency alerts as reported.

Our region is at risk of dangerous:

• flooding (including flash floods);
• downed trees;
• high wind and/or high surf damage;
• power outages;
• mudslides;
• blocked roads.

Everyone is encouraged to subscribe to local emergency alerts and prepare for potential evacuation orders, power outages, floods or mudslides (see the sections for each in this collection). Those who are dependent on an electrical device, or chronically or severely ill, check out the section for keeping medically-vulnerable people safe.

Evacuations

These websites monitor current evacuation warnings and orders:

Road Closures

Power outages

If your electricity goes out, use this link to report it to PG&E (if you have sufficient battery on your smart phone, that is!), and to check estimates for when it will be restored:

Flooding

Read further to see the difference between a flood advisory, flood watch, or flood warning. (If an evacuation or warning is called, the Zonehaven AWARE site linked above shows a map of the area affected.)

The Valley Water site tracks water levels in Santa Clara area local creeks, rivers, and reservoirs throughout the day. The California Nevada River Forecast Center maps water levels at observation stations throughout California and Nevada, with most recent reports listed in the right sidebar.

Flood Watch, Flood Warning, Flood Advisory - what do they mean?

What is the difference between a Flood Watch and a Flood Warning issued by the National Weather Service?

• Flash Flood Warning: Take Action! A Flash Flood Warning is issued when a flash flood is imminent or occurring. If you are in a flood prone area move immediately to high ground. A flash flood is a sudden violent flood that can take from minutes to hours to develop. It is even possible to experience a flash flood in areas not immediately receiving rain.
  Flash Flood Warnings are changing to an Impact-Based format to improve public response. Read the factsheet.

• Flood Warning: Take Action! A Flood Warning is issued when the hazardous weather event is imminent or already happening. A Flood Warning is issued when flooding is imminent or occurring. Put preparations in place; get ready to evacuate if needed (check for road closures and plan exit route); turn off electricity before flood waters reach.

• Flood Watch: Be Prepared: A Flood Watch is issued when conditions are favorable for a specific hazardous weather event to occur, along with favorable conditions for flooding. It does not mean flooding will occur, but it is possible. Prepare ahead: get sandbags if needed, clear sewer drains, report standing water in roads or waterways rising.

• Flood Advisory: Be Aware: An Flood Advisory is issued when a specific weather event that is forecast to occur may become a nuisance. A Flood Advisory is issued when flooding is not expected to be bad enough to issue a warning. However, it may cause significant inconvenience, and if caution is not exercised, it could lead to situations that may threaten life and/or property.

To find out if your home or business is in a flood zone, check FEMA's flood zone maps.

This video from Valley Water describes how:

Preparing for a flood is much like preparing for any other emergency, except:

• To avoid additional problems when water hits power, before waters reach you, turn off electricity and gas at the main switches / valves, and disconnect electrical appliances.
• Do not touch electrical equipment if you are wet or there is standing water, however!
• Do not drive into flooded areas. If floodwaters rise around your car, abandon the car immediately and move to higher ground. You and the vehicle can be quickly swept away. A foot of water will float many vehicles; two feet of rushing water can carry away most vehicles, including SUVs and pick-ups. Remember: turn around, don't drown.
• Do not try to walk or swim through floodwaters.

See more in the section on Floods and Mudslides in this collection.

Report Flooded Local Streets  

Shelter

Need a place to go during severe storms? Told to evacuate but not sure where to go?

The Red Cross operates 24/7 shelters at:

• Camden Community Center, 3369 Union Ave., San José, CA 95124
• Seven Trees Community Center, 3590 CAS Dr., San José, CA 95111
• other Red Cross shelters in the Bay Area listed here

Not Red Cross, but other overnight shelters are:

• San Martin Lions Club, 12415 Murphy Ave., San Martin, CA 95949

Overnight Warming Locations (OWLs) are open nightly from 8:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. by referral only; call 408-539-2105 or email owlreferrals@homefirstscc.org to shelter at:

• Roosevelt Community Center, 901 East Santa Clara Street, San José 
• West Valley Branch Library, 1243 San Tomas Aquino Road, San José.

Daytime shelter ("warming centers") can be found at these public libraries: Cupertino; Gilroy; Los Altos Library & Woodland Library; Los Gatos; Milpitas; Morgan Hill; Saratoga; Santa Clara (Central, Mission Branch, Northside Branch);  San José (Alum Rock Branch Library, East San José Carnegie Branch Library, Educational Park Branch Library, Hillview Branch Library, Joyce Ellington Branch Library, Pearl Avenue Branch Library, Rose Garden Library). Also at the Southside Community Center, 5585 Cottle Rd., San José.

Cleaning up After

After a flood or mudslide, there's a lot of hard work, with its own hazards. Once it's safe to start, roads need to be cleared of debris, downed trees, mud. Electrical lines may need to be secured. Flooded buildings may need professional remediation work.

Other recovery resources:

(Santa Clara County has not been approved for FEMA assistance [yet], but the statewide declaration of emergency does qualify South Bay residents for some types of assistance, like waiving replacement fees for important documents, and in some cases, an automatic extension of tax deadlines.)

Beware Donation Scams

When disasters hit, for many people the first thought after "I'm safe (mostly)" is "How can I help?". Unfortunately, though, for some that second thought is "how can I make a profit from this?".  Scammers feed on our desires to help each other.

If asked for money:

Please be cautious of crowdfunding requests, individuals asking for gift card donations, and other requests for cash or checks. Verify that the organization or company making the ask is legitimate; and dig further into GoFundMe requests before giving. If the funds are supposedly going to a particular charity, call or email that organization directly to ask for confirmation that a third party is fundraising for them.

If asked for material donations (food, blankets or towels, clothing, toys, equipment, etc.):

Double-check with the organization that will be distributing those donations to find out 1) if they are still accepting donations, and 2) if there are limits on what kinds of materials they can accept. Donated items should be clean and undamaged; packaged food items should be within their sell-by date and ideally easy-to-open and ready-to serve.

If you suspect  a scam, please report it!

To find out where and how to report a suspected scam, check these links: