CAMERON PARK – In the Sierra foothills, a flood watch that went into effect Wednesday morning had people preparing for Tuesday.
People in Cameron Park don't need any reminders about flooding. They have learned from experience to be prepared.
Storm watch meant filling sandbags for Brian Holcomb. He was filling dozens of them at the Cameron Park Fire Station, preparing for what was to come.
Holcomb was watching the weather forecast on his phone. After last year's floods, he does not want a repeat of the floods in his home.
“It's hard to sleep, because you can hear it drooping and you know it is, or you hope it's a drain, but yeah, last year, it wasn't a drain,” Holcomb said.
The Chavez family in Cameron Park has had their sandbags at the ready since last year.
“It was very bad,” Jerry Chavez said. “We got water in the house — two additional bedrooms and the living room.” “So they had to completely cover the floors which was a headache.”
His neighbor, Chris Rivero, went beyond sandbags, building a permanent concrete wall around his house to keep water out after his home was flooded in last winter's massive storm. Now, he is always on edge.
“I check the rainfall and rainfall amounts every day,” Rivero said.
Head here For a full look at what to expect with Atmospheric River this week.
A video from last year shows the extreme scene in Cameron Park. Flooded roads sent water into homes.
The El Dorado County Sheriff ordered evacuations. A family trapped in their home was rescued by firefighters.
“We haven't seen anything close to the amount of rain we had last time, but it's still a cause for concern,” Rivero said. “Especially this coming week, it looks like seven days of rain.”
Deer Creek runs right through this neighborhood — a beautiful snapshot that turns into a turbulent area when it floods, sending water everywhere.
“We knew it was coming,” Rivero said.
El Dorado County has set up free sandbag sites for people who need them. These are:
- El Dorado County Department of Transportation at 3671 Missouri Flat Rd. In Diamond Springs
- Cameron Park Fire Station 89 at 3200 Country Club Dr
- South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue Station 3 is at 2101 Lake Tahoe Blvd.
- El Dorado Hills Fire Station 85 is at 1050 Wilson Blvd
Sandbag sites are also available at various other locations throughout the greater Sacramento area and surrounding areas. See more options below.
Sacramento
The County Branch Center is at 3847 Branch Center Road.
The Orangevale Community Center is at 6826 Hazel Ave.
Jose P. Rizal Community Center at 7320 Florin Mall Dr.
Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Station #116 at 7995 Elwyn Ave. In Rio Linda
Sutter County
City Corporation Square on N Street in Live Oak
Meridian Fire Department at 1100 Third Street.
Oswald Tudor Fire Department at 1280 Barry Road.
Pleasant Grove Fire Department at 310 Housley Road.
The community center is at 17540 Pepper St in Robbins
County Sign Yard at 3098 Acacia Ave. In Sutter
The road maintenance yard is at 2560 Pacific Street in Trowbridge
Company Square is at 1185 Market Street in Yuba City
Yuba County
Public Works Plaza at 1420 Sky Harbor Dr. In Olivehurst
Loma Rica Public Works Yard at 5390 Fruitland Road.
Yolo County
West Sacramento Port at 2895 Industrial Blvd.
Public Works Building at 1915 South River Road. In West Sacramento
The county website says you can also call 311 for information on other potential sandbag locations.
