Sand takes over homes

A Thousand Palms resident has been battling an ongoing sand problem for more than five years.

“My yard has been swallowed up, my dogs are in danger, my wife feels that the house is in danger,” said Sterling Winn.

Winn said he is unable to keep up with the work load. He wakes up at 6 a.m to shovel the sand out of his yard. He has even asked for help from five friends, but they’re just disappointed to find even more sand accumulate after a few days.

Winn moved into his home in 2004. He said the sand wasn’t a problem then, and that the winds weren’t blowing as frequent. He had a beautifully landscaped yard about three years ago, but the sand has buried it since.

He believes that the drought has played a role in the abundance of sand getting blown onto his property. The lack of rain has dehydrated the sands from being naturally packed.

Our news team reached out to supervisor John Benoit, 4th District representative of Riverside. He gave us this statement:

“The Coachella Valley is a desert with natural sand dunes, particularly north of Interstate 10. Unfortunately, naturally occurring sand can create problems for neighbors that are downwind of sand dunes or unimproved lots, as it appears in this situation.

The Riverside County Transportation Department will respond to calls when sand builds up in the right-of-way of county-maintained streets. However, sand that blows onto a resident’s property is the responsibility of the homeowner.”

We also contacted local landscapers and home insurance companies. Landscapers offer services to remove the sand from residents’ yards. Some insurance companies offer policies that include coverage for damage similar to Winn’s.