SPRING RAINS ARE COMING, GET SOME FREE SANDBAGS

By Gig Connaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

March 21, 2017 (San Diego's East County) - So, spring has arrived — and the rains are coming back! The National Weather Service is predicting rain this week for San Diego County, possibly heavy Wednesday.

Which means it’s also a good time to check to see if you need any free sand and/or bags to help protect your home and property from the weather.

San Diego County’s Department of Public Works, the San Diego County Fire Authority and CAL FIRE continue to offer free sand and bags at 15 fire stations and other spots, and free bags to fill with sand at another 29 fire stations.

The full list of locations and telephone contacts can be found on the County’s ReadySanDiego website. Because different locations are offering sand and bags, just bags or are asking people to bring shovels with them to put sand into the bags themselves, people should call ahead to check.

This has been the rainiest season in San Diego County in several years and there are still weeks of potential rain ahead. Rain can cause flood and erosion, especially in areas that are not covered by landscaping, grass, trees, shrubs and other plants. Rain runoff can sweep soil, mud and debris downstream, and damage homes, clog storm drains, culverts and flood and damage roadways.

Using sandbags properly can help direct waters away from homes and properties. People who have slopes on their land can use mulch, or terrace their slopes and plant groundcovers  and shrubs to keep them from eroding.

For more information about how to prepare for potential flooding, go to the County Office of Emergency Services Flooding webpage.

You may also want to check out this how-to video, “You’ve Got Your Sandbags, Now What?” The County put it together last year before El Niño and it explains how to properly fill and use sandbags to protect your property.