Steady rain, sinkhole keeps crews busy in San Jose
SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- Crews in the South Bay are bracing for a busy night with more rain projected in the forecast. Valley Water officials have also been releasing water from Anderson Reservoir over the past week to ensure it doesn't reach capacity, in preparation for the next round of showers.
"It's scary. You don't think living in such a big city like San Jose that something like this could affect you, but with a reservoir that big so close to home, it's something you have to think about," said San Jose resident Garrett Serrato.
Nearly two years ago, Serrato was among those who found themselves facing a disaster, as water released from Anderson Reservoir, caused nearby Coyote Creek to flood. Local officials estimate the flooding caused nearly $73 million in damage and impacted more than 14,000 residents. The water district has since led year-round efforts to remove downed trees and invasive vegetation in the creek to prevent a repeat.
"All five of our sandbag stations have been fully stocked. In addition, cities around the county operate an additional 19 sandbag sites," said Valley Water board chair Linda LeZotte.
At San Jose City Hall Wednesday morning, Mayor Sam Liccardo appeared with Valley Water officials to outline their joint emergency action plan with the goal of reassuring the public that both agencies were prepared to respond to the storm.
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"We have activated a new wireless system which allows us to push notifications to all cell phones within an effected geographic area," said Liccardo. "We have purchased and are ready to deploy a mobile loud speaker for warning purposes."
The city spent much of Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning actively cleaning up problem spots that popped up. Residents were hopeful that lessons were learned from previous storm responses.
"All that planning's been done now," said San Jose city manager David Sykes. "We've got communication ready in multiple languages, and it's a matter of implementing a plan, versus trying to create a plan."
The city is encouraging residents to sign up for Alert SCC, the county's mass alert system, which local officials will utilize to push out relevant information via text, if needed.
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