San Jose crews spent their day checking and clearing storm drains ahead of the upcoming atmospheric river storm.
Crews hope the work they are doing will prevent the kind of flooding the city saw after a storm in October.
“We go to every storm drain on the map we look at it. We make sure it’s clean no debris in there and we clean it up,” said Khourng Yan, a maintenance worker with the San Jose Department of Transportation.
This is a never-ending job since the city has 35,000 storm drains, and sometimes crews find some unusual items in those catch basins.
“I found bullets, a gun and money, lots of money,” said Eric Wright, another worker with the Department of Transportation.
The crew also checks for other things that could block a drain.
“Sometimes we come around and there are sandbags on top so we remove the sandbags so that water can flow through,” Wright said.
The city is also preparing for heavy rain by making sure storm pumps are ready, beefing up staffing and keeping a close eye on areas prone to flooding.
But crews can’t be everywhere, which is why residents are urged to do their part.
“Keep on top of your house, clean the front of your yard, sweep up your leaves and if you’re leaving out clippings for pick up and it doesn’t get picked up, put it in the trash so you can get it off of the street,” said Colin Heyne with the San Jose Department of Transportation.
Residents are urged to call 311 right away if they see a flooded drain.
Source: NBC Bay Area
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