Residents in Sacramento prepare for incoming heavy weekend rain and wind

CLEARING TRASH, AHEAD OF THE RAINS. THIS WAS ON FREEPORT BOULEVA.RD ORGANIZERS OF THE CLEAN UP SAY THEY FEEL LIKE THEY MADE A DENT, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS MORE TRASH TO PICK UP. OTHERS ACROSS SACRAMENTO MADE LAST-MINUTE PREPARATIONS TODAY. KCRA 3’S STEPHANIE LIN SPOKE WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AROUND TOWN, RUSHING TO GET THE SUPPLIES THEY NEEDED AHEAD OF THE STORM. >> ARE THESE ALL THE SAME SIZE? STEPHANIE: KIKI ONSTED IS MAKING SURE HER SACRAMENTO HOME IS WELL-PROTECTED FROM THE UPNGMICO STM. >> OH, HERE THEY ARE. STEPHANIE: PICKING UP ALL THE ESSENTIALS, AND MORE AT EMIGH’S HARDWARE ON EL CAMINO. >> ONE OF THE INTHGS WE REALLY NEEDED, IS THIS LITTLE DOOHICKEY. STEPHANIE: HOPING TO KEEP THE GUNK OUT OF HER GUTTERS. >> WE WOULD RATH NOTER HAVE ANY FLOODING. SHE’S JUST ONE OF MANY PEOPLE WE MET WITH THE SAME CONCERN. >> PEOPLE STARTED COMING IATN 7:00 A.M., NEEDING EVERYTHING FROM TARPS TO GUTTER ACCESSORIES, TO THINGS TO OCBLK OUT THE WATER. >> I AM CONCERNED ABOUT FLOONGDI. I DO NEED SOME SANDBAGS. STEPHANIE: THE HARDWARE STORE TELLS US A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN COMING IN LAST MINUTE TO PICK UP ITEMS THEY NEED BEFORE THE STORM, AND THE RUSH HAS BEEN SO INTENSE A LOT OF ITEMS VE VANISHED COMPLETELY OFF THE SHVES. >> I’M CHECKING ALL THE PIPES, MAKING SURE ALL THE GUTTERS ARE CLEAR. STEPHANIE: WE MET CUSTOMER KEVIN MCCARTIC PKING UP SANDBAGS TO CONTROL POSSIBLE OVERFLOW FROM THE CREEK THAT RUNS BY HIS HOUSE. >> IT IS VERY SERIOUS TO ME. STEPHANIE: TELLING US HE’S FRUSTRATED HE COULD NOT FIND ANY OPEN SANDBAG STATIONS RUN BY THE COUNTY, ANYWHERE. >> PLEASE BE AWARE WE’VE KNOWN ABOUT THE STORM FOR AT LEAST A WEEK. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T HAVE THE MONEY TO BUY SANDBAGS. STEPHANIE: WE BRGHOUT THOSE CONCERNS TO THE COUNTY. >> THIS STORM, IT JUST SURISPR US. STEPHANIE: THE SPOKESPERSON TELLING US, THE COUNTY HAS ONLY OFFERED FREE SAND STARTING IN NOVEMBER. >> WE PUT THE ORDER IN BELIEVING THE STORMS WON’T HAPPEN UNTIL LATER. STEPHANIE: I ASKED THE COUNTY IF IT MIGHT CHOOSE TO ORDER SAND AT AN EARLIER DATE IN THE FUTURE. >> WE FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE NOVEMBER TIMELINE, BECAUSE TSHI IS A STORM THAT DOESN’T HAPPEN ALL THE TIME. WE FEEL NOVEMBER IS THE BEST TIME TO ART, BSTECAUSE NORMALLY THIS AREA, DECEMBER, JANUARY IS WHEN WE GET HIT HARD. STEPHANIE: THE SPOKESPERSON ADDED THERE ARE NO PLANS TO CREATE A YEAR-ROUND STOCKPILE OF SAND. >> WE WILL BE READY IN OUR NORMAL TIMEFRAME. STEPHANIE: IF YOU LIVE IN SACRAMENTO COUNTIN YY OU HAPPEN TO SEE A BIG POT OF LEAVES THAT MAY BE CLOINGGG UP A STORM DRAIN DURING THE WEEKEND BIG WEATHER EVENT, YOU CAN ALWAYS CALL THE COUNTY. THEY CAN SEND SOMEONE TO ADDRESS ANY POSSI

Shoppers filled the aisles at Emigh's Hardware store in South Sacramento on Saturday, many rushing to pick up last-minute items before Sunday's wet weather. "We would rather not have any flooding," said customer Kiki Onsted, whose home experienced bad water damage after a storm in 2016. "I’m getting all the supplies I can.""People started coming in at 7 a.m., needing everything from tarps to gutter accessories, to things to block out the water," observed store manager Randy Aspinall. "We’ve sold 100 sandbags ... since this morning."The last-minute scramble has been so intense, many gutter treatment items no longer appeared to be in stock on the shelves. "I’m checking all the pipes, making sure all the gutters are clear," said shopper Kevin McCart, who came to pick up sandbags to control possible overflow from a creek near his home. McCart expressed frustration that the county did not provide any open sandbag stations the day before the storm is expected to make landfall. "Please be aware we’ve known about the storm for at least a week," McCart added. "A lot of people don’t have the money to buy sandbags."KCRA 3 brought those concerns to the county. "This storm, it just surprised us," said Matt Robinson, spokesperson for Sacramento County. Robinson said the county has only offered free sand to the public starting in November. "We put the order in believing the storms won’t happen until later," he said. "We don’t have the ability to bring the sand faster than when we order it."KCRA 3 asked if the county had any plans to adjust the timeline for future orders. "We feel comfortable with the November timeline, because this is a storm that doesn’t happen all the time," Robinson said. "We feel November is the best time to start, because normally this area, December, January is when we get hit hard."KCRA 3 asked whether the county might have any plans to create a year-round stockpile of sand to make the resource more readily available. "No. We don’t have a location to keep the sand," Robinson said. "We hope the public understands we will be ready in our normal time frame."Residents of Sacramento County can report clogged storm drains or other water service-related issues by calling 311. Residents in unincorporated areas may call 916-875-4311.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

Shoppers filled the aisles at Emigh's Hardware store in South Sacramento on Saturday, many rushing to pick up last-minute items before Sunday's wet weather.

"We would rather not have any flooding," said customer Kiki Onsted, whose home experienced bad water damage after a storm in 2016. "I’m getting all the supplies I can."

"People started coming in at 7 a.m., needing everything from tarps to gutter accessories, to things to block out the water," observed store manager Randy Aspinall. "We’ve sold 100 sandbags ... since this morning."

The last-minute scramble has been so intense, many gutter treatment items no longer appeared to be in stock on the shelves.

"I’m checking all the pipes, making sure all the gutters are clear," said shopper Kevin McCart, who came to pick up sandbags to control possible overflow from a creek near his home.

McCart expressed frustration that the county did not provide any open sandbag stations the day before the storm is expected to make landfall.

"Please be aware we’ve known about the storm for at least a week," McCart added. "A lot of people don’t have the money to buy sandbags."

KCRA 3 brought those concerns to the county.

"This storm, it just surprised us," said Matt Robinson, spokesperson for Sacramento County.

Robinson said the county has only offered free sand to the public starting in November.

"We put the order in believing the storms won’t happen until later," he said. "We don’t have the ability to bring the sand faster than when we order it."

KCRA 3 asked if the county had any plans to adjust the timeline for future orders.

"We feel comfortable with the November timeline, because this is a storm that doesn’t happen all the time," Robinson said. "We feel November is the best time to start, because normally this area, December, January is when we get hit hard."

KCRA 3 asked whether the county might have any plans to create a year-round stockpile of sand to make the resource more readily available.

"No. We don’t have a location to keep the sand," Robinson said. "We hope the public understands we will be ready in our normal time frame."

Residents of Sacramento County can report clogged storm drains or other water service-related issues by calling 311. Residents in unincorporated areas may call 916-875-4311.

Residents in Sacramento prepare for incoming heavy weekend rain and wind

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