NEWS RELEASE
March 8, 2023Preparing for the next Storm
Prepare now for another large storm predicted to bring 2-4 inches of moderate intensity rain to Santa Maria Thursday into Saturday. This brings potential for localized road and urban flooding, as well as high flows in the Santa Maria River.
Residents are encouraged to:
- Clean your gutters and drains, and place sandbags on your property to prevent water from entering living spaces. For sandbags, local hardware stores have bags for sale. In addition, community members can fill up their sandbags for free at five stockpiles provided by the City (bring your own bags). Only fill sandbags about halfway so you can stack them in a row, or a wall, to block water. Sandbagging technique video from California Department of Water Resources.
- Do not drive through road closures, or over manhole covers with water bubbling out.
- Do not drive near or over ponding water.
- Stay out of flood waters. Water may still be rising and can hide hazards.
- Rapidly flowing water can sweep you off your feet and your vehicle downstream.
All City sports fields will be closed starting Thursday afternoon, March 9th for safety and to limit damage. Fields may remain closed next week. The public is asked to stay out of closed fields. Saturated fields are unsafe, and if they are used can become badly damaged with rehabilitation lasting several weeks.
The City also will post notices and lock the gates to the Santa Maria River Levee trail (the levee is owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), until Monday.
Motorists can check local highway conditions by calling the Caltrans District 5 Public Affairs phone line at (805) 549-3318 or online at https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-5. Road information is also posted at: https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/.
Residents are also encouraged to follow the City’s social media pages, or check the City’s webpage, www.cityofsantamaria.org, for the latest information.
Those experiencing homelessness can contact the Warming Center Hotline at (805) 324-2372.
Department: City Manager’s Office
Contact Person: Mark van de Kamp, Public Information Manager
Telephone Number: (805) 925-0951 ext. 2372 or cell (805) 720-4038
E-mail Address: mvandekamp@cityofsantamaria.org
