Sacramento, CA – Due to the severity of the storm system due later this week, California’s top emergency official is cautioning residents to take basic steps to be more resilient through the storms and potential impacts.
“The public safety community will be very busy during these storms and it’s important to help reduce 9-1-1 call volumes by lowering your risks of danger as much as possible,” says Mark Ghilarducci, Director of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
Ghilarducci states, “We know that it can flood anywhere that we receive heavy rains. This storm will present a risk of flash flooding and debris slides in areas where ground conditions have not adapted to the saturation.”
Due to the significant fire season, Ghilarducci points out that burned areas are a especially at risk for debris slides. He states, “Even regions that don’t experience regular seasonal flooding could see flash flooding during this intense storm system, which could be the largest to date of this year’s rainy season.”
Before the rain comes, Ghilarducci says, residents should develop a heightened awareness of the home, work and recreation areas that they frequent. During a disaster is not the time to think about creating an emergency plan or creating a disaster kit, he notes.
Ghilarducci recommends that individuals and families follow the emergency preparedness guidelines below:
This post was last modified on 12/09/2014 1:26 pm