Storm Readiness: Advancing Flood Protection Projects & Resident Reminders

Published in

PaloAltoConnect

7 min readNov 15, 2024

October marks the beginning of our rainy season and this update shares City steps taken to ensure storm drains and creeks are working properly, updates about advancing the construction of the Newell Road Bridge Replacement project and additional City planning underway. Plus, find five reminders to help prepare for possible storm impacts.

Current forecasts by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) indicates El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Neutral. This means there is an equal chance of below or above average rainfall in the Bay Area during the rainy season. The rainy season spans from October 15 — April 15, and there is a chance that La Niña could develop later in the year. Either way, be storm ready by preparing before heavy storms arrive.

Preparing your home is a critical element to being storm ready. Support community safety by helping neighbors, report concerns, and track storm conditions. Find safety tips, storm readiness resources and more below.

Advancing Flood Protection Capital Improvements & Clearing Debris

The City continues to focus on storm drain improvements to increase capacity and advance other critical capital improvements including Newell Road Bridge Replacement to enhance community flood protection.

Public Works staff works year-round to maintain and improve the storm drain system. Work includes removing debris that might block water drainage and inspecting and cleaning all creeks, outfalls, and tide gates, cleaning and repairing all pipelines and catch basins and more. Staff also installed a trash rack in Matadero Creek to prevent floating debris from clogging storm water outlets.

A new Alester/Dana Avenue storm drain inlet and pipeline was installed and connected to the main line to alleviate localized flooding on the corner. To reduce erosion at Palo Alto/Seneca Avenue, a new pipeline and new flap gate was installed and hillside soil restoration with native vegetation.

An excavator was rented again this year to station at the Pope/Chaucer bridge throughout the winter season. This will help staff quickly remove debris during heavy rain flow. A trash pump and vacuum trailer are on standby to clean up and hold any debris left by passing storms.

The City Council advanced storm drain construction projects to support better drainage and convey storm runoff at the Corporation Way System Upgrades and Pump Station, West Bayshore Road Pump Station, and West Bayshore Road Trunk Line. In addition to these high-priority improvements identified in the City’s Storm Drain Master Plan, construction also includes repairing collapsed pipes at Embarcadero Road, and Forest Avenue as well as improvements along East Meadow Drive and East Meadow Circle. These projects are expected to be completed by spring 2026. Learn more here.

Increased Creek Monitoring

The City recently installed a new camera and lights along the Pope/Chaucer Bridge at San Francisquito Creek to help monitor rising water levels. This is an especially important tool if the creek sensor is damaged during a large storm event. The City’s existing camera at West Bayshore Road and San Francisquito Creek continues.

Find all Palo Alto creek monitoring tools at www.cityofpaloalto.org/creekmonitor.

Newell Road Bridge Replacement Project Construction Anticipated to Start Summer 2025

An important flood protection project, Newell Road Bridge Replacement continues to advance towards construction in Summer 2025.

Funding for the project replacing the current bridge over the San Francisquito Creek was approved. Tree removals needed in advance of construction were completed in October. Staff are working to submit the required Request for Authorization, Advance Construction letter, and revised final project plans by the first week of December, with standard review anticipated between 6–8 weeks. Staff will continue working closely with Caltrans on approvals to allow construction in Summer 2025, including the possibility of bidding during the review time.

Follow this project at www.cityofpaloalto.org/Newell.

Prepare Your Home Resources & Reminders

Thanks to several residents for attending our November 13 Storm Preparedness Community Workshop to learn more about home storm readiness and what the City is doing to prepare. It was great to hear about ways you are preparing for the upcoming storm season and some of your questions informed the key reminders noted below.

5 Storm Readiness Reminders

Stay informed: Gain real-time updates during storm impacts and learn about the City’s emergency alert protocols at www.cityofpaloalto.org/stormupdate. Sign up for emergency alerts, follow Palo Alto Police on Nixle for public safety updates, and gain details about power outages at https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/outages

2. Prepare your home: Learn about using sandbags before you may need them. Sandbag resources are available at the Palo Alto Airport, Mitchell Park, and the Rinconada Park tennis courts. Sandbags are stocked as of Friday, November 15. Find Palo Alto sandbag maps and information at www.CityofPaloAlto.org/StormUpdate. Watch this one-minute video on how to properly fill and pack sandbags and this five-minute video on how to use them. Consider tree maintenance and reinforcing your home before heavy storms arrive, and possibly purchasing plastic sheeting, plywood, and tools for waterproofing your doors and openings.

3. Check if You’re in a Flood Zone with Palo Alto Flood Maps: If you’re not sure if you’re in a flood zone, you can look up your address at the FEMA Floodmap Service Center. Find Palo Alto flood maps at www.cityofpaloalto.org/storms.

4. Explore Flood Insurance: Due to significant effort on flood awareness and floodplain management by the City, Palo Alto residents are eligible for a discount on flood insurance premiums through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance program.

5. Clean Neighborhood Storm Drains & Report Issues: If you see leaves and debris on top of the storm drain in your neighborhood, remove it and add it to your green waste bin. Please remind your landscapers and gardeners to pick up leaves and place them in compost bins rather than blowing them into the street. It is illegal to place leaves and yard trimmings in the street, or to dump anything into a creek or storm drain. Report neighborhood impacts through Palo Alto 311 or call us directly at the phone numbers listed below.

Have Key City Phone Numbers Handy

Report Community Concerns

Please only call 9–1–1 in an emergency. Report neighborhood impacts through Palo Alto 311 or call us directly at the phone numbers listed here.

Report blocked storm drains, sink holes, landslides, levee damage, and fallen trees to Palo Alto Public Works. Call (650) 496–6974 on weekdays from 7 a.m. — 4 p.m. and (650) 329–2413 after hours.
Report gas leaks, sewer spills to Palo Alto Utilities Water, Gas, Wastewater Operations at (650) 329–2579.
Report power outages & electrical problems to Palo Alto Utilities Electric Operations at (650) 496–6914.
Call our Pollution Hotline at (650) 329–2943 or 1(888) 510–5151 if you see someone dumping in storm drains or creeks.

Thank you in advance for reporting community concerns.