Storm-stricken Castro Valley residents ready for new flood threat
SAN FRANCISCO - As the residents of Castro Valley brace themselves for this weekend's atmospheric river, memories of the previous storm still linger fresh in their minds.
"I got up, and I had my coffee. It had been raining all night, and when I got up, the water was about to where that tree is, and I thought, oh man, I hope it doesn't get any worse than this," Doug Lenard said.
Unfortunately, Doug's hopes were misplaced. That heavy rainfall caused a roadway to collapse into a swollen creek behind his house. He was lucky, but his neighbors weren't. Now, with another storm on the horizon, residents are taking steps to ensure they are ready for any emergency.
"I'm not really freaking out about it because I'll just keep an eye on it, and if it gets where the top of those bricks are, I might get a little concerned," Lenard said.
The focus is on prevention for those fortunate enough to escape the worst of the previous storm.
"We have our solar power lamps ready. We have about four fully charged," another neighbor said.
Those preparations feel especially important after what happened to her neighbor's house.
"When the tree came down and unfortunately demolished the house, the gentleman there was really hurt. He was in the hospital for a long time," she added.
To prevent this, many residents are taking the time to chop up trees and branches that could cause harm.
"We're trying to get it done before the rain," Jorge De Rosas, a tree trimmer in Castro Valley, said.
It's all about prevention, but residents like Lenard are confident everything should be fine.
"I don't know how much rain we will get, but you just deal with it, and I know where to get sandbags if I have to," Lenard explained.