Heavy Rains Bring Flooding Concerns To Nevada City, Grass Valley
NEVADA CITY-- With heavy rainfall expected Tuesday night, there are flooding concerns in the foothills.
Nevada City and Grass Valley are under a flood watch until Thursday morning. Roughly 2 to 4 inches of rain is expected below the snow line. Over the next seven days there could be up to a foot of rain.
Deer Creek in Nevada City fills up pretty quickly, and Mitsy Garnet who works at Lefties Grill right next to the creek says there's always a concern with heavy rain
"Last year and this year it's really been raging, but locals know where to sandbag, and what roads not to take," said Garnet.
With snow on the ground, city crews have been prepping all day, waiting to see what the storm brings
"Our biggest concern is getting our drainage and water ways cleared, getting ready for any potential flow that we get," said Tim Kiser, Grass Valley Public Works Director.
Kiser says as crews cleaned storm drains, they want people near the creeks and rivers to be prepared.
"We have sandbags prepared if they need them," he said.
The rain is expected to melt some of the new low-level snow from a couple of days ago
"There are a couple spots that are notorious for flooding, but for the most part as long as they clear the leaves and debris it's not a terrible issue," said Sarah Wilton of Grass Valley.
And for some living higher up, they welcome the rain
"Rain is a good thing right now because my wife and I have been shoveling snow all day!" said Mark Heltsley.
But with more snow and heavy rain, the foothills could see their creeks rise significantly.