Heavy rains and strong winds: stay safe and report issues

Intense storms Wednesday and Thursday

Prepare your household, use caution and avoid roads if possible; report downed power lines, clogged drains, or fallen trees

Published January 3, 2023 | Updated January 4, 2023

UPDATE (8:45am January 6, 2023)
The utility pole at Wildwood and Wallace has been repaired and roads are re-open.

More storms are expected this weekend, continuing into next week. Sandbags are available at the Corporation Yard (898 Red Rock Road) during normal business hours, 7am-3:30pm Monday-Friday. Limited to 10 per household.

UPDATE (3:45pm January 5, 2023)
Wildwood and Wallace at the 5 Ws intersection remain closed due to a utility pole blocking the roadway. City staff have been in repeated contact with AT&T to coordinate repair, but do not yet have an estimate of when these roads will reopen.

UPDATE (8:45am January 5, 2023)
City staff worked throughout the night to respond to and mitigate impacts from the storm.

  • Road closure at Wildwood and Wallace continues.
  • Sandbags are available at the Corporation Yard (898 Red Rock Road). Limit of 10 sandbags per household.
  • Please call (510) 420-3050 to report fallen trees, clogged drains, and other damage to City infrastructure.

UPDATE: (7:50pm January 4, 2023)
A tree is blocking the roadway at Wildwood/Winsor. Piedmont Police & Fire are on the scene and PG&E is on the way. Please avoid the area.

Wildwood Ave./Nova Ave. eastbound to the 5 W’s will be closed until the tree has been cleared.

UPDATE: (5:30pm January 4, 2023)
Public Works crews have spent the day clearing creeks, drains, and catch basins and will continue to work through the night to mitigate storm impacts and respond to issues. Extra Police and Fire staff are on hand to respond to calls throughout the night as well.

  • Sandbags will be available again at the City's Corporation Yard (898 Red Rock Rd.) starting Thursday morning at 7am. Each household is limited to 10 sandbags.

UPDATE (11:30am January 4, 2023)
Peak rainfall is expected from 5 to 8pm tonight, with heavy rains continuing through 10pm.

  • Flooding in the region is expected to peak between midnight and 6am. A flood watch remains in effect through Thursday afternoon.
  • A high wind warning remains in effect through 10am Thursday morning.

If you are not registered already, sign up now for AC Alert emergency notifications at acalert.org.

With heavy rain and strong winds forecast for Wednesday and Thursday, the City of Piedmont urges community members to exercise caution and help keep Piedmont safe by reporting downed power lines, clogged drains, fallen trees, and other issues.

The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for the East Bay from 4am on Wednesday, January 4th until 4pm on Thursday, January 5th and a high wind warning from 4am on Wednesday, January 4th until 10am on Thursday, January 5th. Rains as intense or more than during Saturday’s storm are forecast throughout the Bay Area.

The heaviest rainfall is expected late afternoon Wednesday through early Thursday morning. Residents should stay alert, avoid roads if possible, use extra caution when driving, and report issues:

  • Call (510) 420-3000 to report downed power lines. If you see damaged power lines or electrical equipment, call (510) 420-3000 to report them to the City, then notify PG&E by calling 1-800-743-5000. Do not touch or drive over a downed power line. If you see a downed power line sparking or smoking, call 9-1-1 to report it.
  • Call (510) 420-3050 during business hours or (510) 420-3000 after hours to report other issues. If you see clogged drains, fallen trees blocking roads, or other storm damage to City infrastructure, call the Public Works Department at (510) 420-3050 during regular business hours (8:30am-5pm) or Police Dispatch at (510) 420-3000 after hours to let us know. Crews are prepared to respond rapidly.

Prepare your household

The City encourages community members to take steps before the storm arrives to prepare for possible flooding:

  • Have insurance policies handy and take photos of each room in your home.
  • Clean on and around your property as needed: gutters, rain downspouts, driveways, culverts, trash and debris around fences and gardens. Clear basement drains.
  • Have sandbags on hand in case of flooding. Residents can get free sandbags at the City’s Corporation Yard (898 Red Rock Road) 7am-3:30pm, Monday-Friday.  (Update: As of 9am on Thursday, January 4th, the Corporation Yard is out of sandbags.)
  • Check submersible pumps and sump pumps to make sure they are operating properly.
  • Keep flashlights and spare batteries on hand in case of power failure.
  • Stock up on food, water, necessary medications, pet needs, and other essential supplies in case of road closures or power outages that last for several days.

Stay safe during heavy rains – avoid flood waters

It is never safe to drive or walk into flood waters. During an intense storm, water levels and the rate at which water is flowing can change rapidly. A mere 6 inches of fast-moving flood water can knock over an adult, and 12 inches of rushing water is enough to carry away most cars.

  • Do not walk through or allow children to play in flood waters.
  • Do not drive through pooled water that you cannot see the depth of.
  • Do not drive around the barriers blocking a flooded road. The road may have collapsed under that water.

Prepare for power outages

Storm damage to power lines may cause outages. Stay informed by signing up to get outage alerts from PG&E for your address by text, email, or phone. PG&E also has an online outage map, which is updated every 15 minutes.

If you experience a power outage:

  • Unplug or turn off all electrical appliances to avoid overloading circuits and to prevent fire hazards when power is restored.
  • Leave a single lamp on to alert you when power returns.
  • Turn your appliances back on one at a time when conditions return to normal.

City staff poised to respond

Public Works, Police, and Fire staff be working through the heavy storms, day and night. Staff are on call to deal with downed trees or flooding affecting local homes, businesses, or streets. Crews will prioritize calls in the order they are received unless an issue is identified as hazardous to the greater public.

Over the weekend, Public Works crews worked around the clock performing continual maintenance at creek crossing and storm drains, responding to a sewer overflow, multiple landslides, removal of  fallen trees, and off haul of approximately 50 yards of debris from City trash racks and inlets to ensure water could continue flowing unimpeded.