Rains, possibly heavy at times, are heading back to San Diego County in the coming days, according to weather officials.
Which means that if you haven’t done it already, it’s a good time to stock up on free sand and bags to protect your home and property.
San Diego County’s Department of Public Works, the San Diego County Fire Authority and CAL FIRE are offering free sand and bags at 15 fire stations and other spots, and free bags to put sand into at another 29 fire stations.
The full list of locations, with telephone contacts, can be found on the County’s “Ready San Diego” website. Because different locations are offering sand and bags, just bags, or are asking people to bring shovels with them to put sand into bags themselves, people should call ahead to check.
Rain can bring flooding and erosion, especially in areas that are not covered by grass, trees, shrubs and other plants. It can sweep water runoff, mud and debris downstream where it can damage homes, clog storm drains, culverts and flood and damage roadways. Weather officials say flooding threats are increased now because this winter’s rains have saturated soils.
Proper use of sandbags 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 be prepared for 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?” — that the County put together last year before El Niño. It explains how to properly fill and use sandbags to protect your property!
