Cal Fire provides tips ahead of severe weather, potential floods
In all likelihood, this week will be a wet one, even for the Coachella Valley. The National Weather Service predicts relatively a lighter weather event in the valley, with a 70 percent chance of rain Thursday morning subsiding to a 40 percent chance by Thursday night, but for the inland valleys and coastal slopes of the county, there could be up to 6 inches from this system.
“One thing that we always want to remember is that, just because it isn’t raining here in the valley, it rains up in the mountains,” said Cal Fire Captain Lucas Spelman. “[The rain] just parked there right on the mountains, came right down the mountains, and hit that city [referring to Cathedral City’s susceptibility to flood damage] with a lot of rain that it didn’t need.”
With a system as potentially potent as this one, extra precaution is always preferred. The best time to take a crash course on flood preparedness is before, not during, a flash flood.
The Cal Fire Flood and Mudflow safety page provides advice for the before, during, and after of one of these adverse weather conditions. In advance of the flood, Cal Fire advises to:
Put together emergency supply kits that you can grab and go Make a family communications plan. Television and radio stations are a source of weather forecasts and emergency messages before and during a severe weather event.
If you get caught in an area that is in the middle of flood conditions, remember: Turn Around Don’t Drown. Move to higher ground and avoid floodwater, whether you’re on foot or in a car. According to Cal Trans, even four inches of water is enough to wash away a passenger vehicle.
According to Spelman, just 2 inches of moving water is enough to lift a car from the road surface.
And even after the weather events, it’s best to avoid even still floodwater. Although the risks of being swept up by the current are gone, the stagnant water could be filled with contaminants that may contain dangerous substances.
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