The city of Santa Clarita is urging residents and businesses, specifically those living near the recent burn areas of Sand Fire in the Sand Canyon area, to take extra precautions and stay alert as heavy rains fall this week.

According to the National Weather Service, the storm hitting Los Angeles County today through Thursday is expected to be the most significant storm so far this year.

The heaviest rainfall is expected to begin tonight and continue into Thursday. Showers could be heavy at times, capable of dropping one-half to three-quarters of an inch of rain within an hour.

Residents should expect urban and small stream flooding and hazardous driving conditions. During periods of urban flooding, streets can become swift moving rivers. During small stream flooding, flooding may occur in small creeks and streams. Heavy rains may also cause downed trees and power lines.

Residents living near the recent burn areas of the Sand Fire in Sand Canyon are at risk of experiencing floods and debris flows and are asked to stay alert to the weather and heed messages from emergency officials.

READY FOR RAIN WEBSITE
Residents are asked to visit the city’s Ready for Rain website at santa-clarita.com/ReadyforRain, for tips on what to do before, during, and after heavy rains. The website also features an Important Numbers Contact page listing the non-emergency city and local agency numbers to call for rain-related issues such as downed trees, traffic signal issues and power outages. For emergencies, residents should always dial 9-1-1.

RAIN SAFETY TIPS
Residents should check to ensure their property has sufficient drainage and that leaves and debris have been cleared out of gutters and drains.

It is extremely dangerous to attempt to drive through a flooded area. Twelve inches of moving water can float a vehicle and six inches of moving water can knock a person off their feet. Remember to turn around, don’t drown.

Residents should pay extra attention during their drive and keep an eye out for pedestrians crossing the street, and debris on the road such as downed trees and power lines. If you see a downed power line, do not touch it. Report the fallen power line immediately by calling 9-1-1.

EMERGENCY ALERTS AND INFORMATION
Residents are encouraged to sign up for emergency alerts through Nixle. Nixle sends emergency messages via text and/or email from the city of Santa Clarita, the LA County Office of Emergency Management, the Los Angeles County Sheriff Headquarters Newsroom and the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff Station. To sign up for text alerts, simply text SCEMERGENCY to 888777. To learn more, please visit santa-clarita.com/ealerts.

In the case of an emergency, the city of Santa Clarita will activate its Emergency Blog at SantaClaritaEmergency.com.

SAND AND SAND BAGS
All Los Angeles County Department fire sStations in the Santa Clarita Valley are providing sandbags to residents. Fire Station 123 and 132 along Sand Canyon Road are both stocked with sand and sandbags for local residents. Please call other stations ahead of time to make sure sand is available to fill the sandbag.

Residents are expected to bring their own shovels and may take up to 25 sandbags per household. For an interactive map listing local fire stations, please visit the Ready for Rain website at santa-clarita.com/ReadyforRain or the LA County Fire Department website at locator.lacounty.gov/fire.

WHAT THE CITY IS DOING
City staff have cleared debris from city streets and will continuously do so throughout the day during the storm. Traffic control devices such as changeable message signs and detour signs are on standby in case they are needed for emergency messaging. Storm drains and parkway drains have also been cleaned in anticipation of the storm.

Starting Thursday, several city crews will be on rotating 12-hour shift schedules to ensure overnight coverage and support is available during the storm. Equipment has also been staged at designated areas in the city in previous burn areas.

For more information on how the city prepares for the storm, or to find rain-related resources, please visit the Ready for Rain website at santa-clarita.com/ReadyForRain.