Preparing for Oakland Winter Storms

Please report active infrastructure emergencies to OAK311 by dialing 311 or (510) 615-5566. Emergencies include downed trees or tree limbs, flooding or sewer overflows, and street signal outages. Please report all non-emergency issues online.

Keep these numbers handy for emergencies, and share them with neighbors:

For storm-related emergency issues on public property and in the public right-of-way (such as flooding, mudslides, landslides, downed trees or tree limbs, traffic signal outages, and manholes overflowing onto streets and sidewalks), contact the Oakland Fire Department Dispatch non-emergency line at (510) 444-3322.

For non-emergencies, OAK 311 can also be contacted in other ways:

Email: OAK311@oaklandca.gov

Online: https://www.oaklandca.gov/services/oak311

Mobile App: https://seeclickfix.com/us-ca-oakland or OAK 311, available in the App Store for Apple devices and Google Play for Androids

For downed power lines or if you smell natural gas, leave the area immediately and then call 9-1-1 or PG&E at 1-800-743-5000.

For power outage alerts go online to pge.com/outage alerts.

For water service emergencies (e.g., no water service, broken hydrants, broken water main pipes), contact EBMUD at 1-866-403-2683.

For life-threatening emergencies, call 9-1-1 from a land line or (510) 777-3211 from a cell phone.

For non-emergency community resource referrals, call 211 anytime or text 898211 Monday through Friday between 9am and 4pm for assistance.
 

Simple preparation steps taken now can lessen the impact of weather-related and other emergencies. Members of the public should review their emergency plans and prepare their families, homes, and vehicles. Here are some suggested steps:

• Clear your gutters and downspouts; ensure downspouts are working and pointing away from your house
• Keep your curbs and sidewalk gutters clear of leaves and debris (and please dispose of in your green bins – not sweep them into the gutter)
• Check the storm drain near your house and use a rake to keep it clear of debris (see the City of Oakland’s Adopt-a-Drain program.)
• Check that backflow prevention devices on sewer laterals/cleanouts are functioning properly – or consult a plumber to have one installed.
• Trim trees on your property to help them handle wind and rain; call a certified arborist to inspect your trees if you observe unusual leaning or dead branches
• Check out your local hardware store for flood prevention tools and techniques such as using sandbags to divert water away from your property or prevent it from coming in through doors and basement windows
• Check in with friends, family and neighbors who may need assistance during extreme weather
• Pack a “go bag” to evacuate quickly
• Have insurance policies handy (tip: take photos of each room in your home beforehand).
• Review emergency procedures and evacuation plans at your children’s schools
• Make sure you have emergency supplies to last for at least three days, including enough water, food, medicine and other supplies for family members and pets

We encourage you to get an early supply of sandbags at your local hardware, landscaping or home improvement stores now before supplies are exhausted. Purchasing sandbags and sheeting now means you'll be able to place them before rain and flooding endanger your home, store or property. Watch the City's videos below on How to Prepare Sandbags and How to Place Plastic Sheeting.

When heavy rains are forecast, Public Works will provide emergency sandbags (up to 10) and plastic sheeting (up to 20 feet) to Oakland residents and business owners while supplies last, to help divert runoff away from buildings and to help prevent flooding and mudslides. Bring your ID to prove residency. Be prepared to fill your own if needed. Locations and hours are provided below:

Municipal Service Center, 7101 Edgewater Drive

Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Saturday & Sunday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Drainage Services Facility, 5921 Shepherd Canyon Road

Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Instructional Videos from the City of Oakland

• How to fill and use sandbags
• How to use plastic sheeting

Oakland’s Community Emergency Response Team Training (CERT)

Help us #ReadyOakland. Through Oakland’s Community Emergency Response Team Training (CERT), individuals can organize themselves and spontaneous volunteers can support their neighborhoods and be effective until professional first responders can arrive. Once trained and CERTified as a Disaster Service Worker Volunteer [DSW-V], members may be called to serve by identifying and reducing potential hazards in their neighborhoods, recognizing life-threatening conditions and applying appropriate life-saving techniques, and supporting with situation and status reporting. In addition to supporting OPW’s free sandbags operations during weather events, CERT volunteers have helped their neighborhoods by surveying and completing storm hazard reporting for the City’s Emergency Operations Center.

To see CERT in action watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80twsCr7oyc&feature=youtu.be

Adopt a Drain

Hundreds of volunteers across Oakland have adopted storm drains to help their neighborhoods prepare for rainstorms. It doesn't take much to keep a storm drain clear. A little volunteer effort goes a long way in helping Public Works maintain over 13,000 storm drains to reduce flooding and prevent pollution of our waterways. When you sign up to Adopt a Drain, you become eligible to borrow City tools and supplies, and you will receive the City's rain alert notifications.

The public is encouraged to subscribe to AC Alert to receive emails and text messages. The system allows subscribers to provide up to five locations, such as a school, home, work and an elder dependent’s address. That way, subscribers will receive updates when an emergency alert impacts one of their self-identified locations.

AC Alert is a unified emergency notification system for Alameda County residents, businesses and visitors. An AC Alert subscription is free, and all residents and business owners are strongly encouraged to sign up. For more information about this system and to find out how to participate, please visit www.acalert.org.

For updated weather forecasts, visit the National Weather Service or follow @NWSBayArea.