San Francisco Pleads For Public's Help Cleaning Out Storm Drains In Advance Of Monster Storm Due Wednesday Night
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) -- The potential flooding is so severe, and so imminent that San Francisco public works officials are actually asking for the public's help clearing out clogged storm drains in advance of Thursday's deluge.
There are 23,000 storm drains in the city and the city cannot possibly clear out every single one before the storm arrives.
"If it's safe to do so, if you see a catch basin that's clogged, we would like for you to assist us in removing the leaves and the debris, because we are finding that that is one of the major reasons that we have localized flooding," SF Public Utilities General Manager Harlan Kelley told KCBS Radio.
For bigger, notorious problem drains, the city's vacuum trucks will be sucking debris out with giant elephant-trunk-like hoses attached to what looks like a trash truck.
Last week, three cars were stuck underwater under Highway 101 near the Cesar Chavez exit in San Francisco. after massive overnight rainfall. One driver had to swim for safety through the streets.
FLOODING IN SF: http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2014/12/03/hell-of-a-night-3-cars-stuck-underwater-in-san-francisco/