Bay Area braces for weekend rain

Bay Area braces for weekend rain

Story posted 2010.12.16 at 03:46 PM PST

The Bay Area is bracing for a series of storms that could dump as much as 10 inches of rain in the mountain areas and four inches on the Valley Floor over the next week.

The Santa Clara Valley Water district had crews out today removing trees from rivers and creeks that could cause problems as the rain moves in on Friday.

Larry Bosworth is a senior maintenance worker for the SCVWD. He and his crew were using a crane to pull a 30 foot long tree trunck out of the Penitencia Creek in San Jose.

"The object is to remove the tree so it doesn't have fish blockage, doesn't create any debris blockage or float downstream in the storm," he said.

The district also uses web cameras to monitor potential trouble spots so if trash and debris do build up, a crew can be sent out to clean up the problem before it creates an overflow situation.

Agencies serving the homeless are also getting the word out to get inside and stay dry as the wet weather hits the Bay Area. EHC Lifebuilders is the largest organization providing emergency shelter in Santa Clara County. It has three cold weather sites set up in the county: one in Gilroy, Sunnyvale and San Jose. CEO Jenny Niklaus is expecting all 375 beds to be full and even anticipates an overflow.

"We're planning on going over numbers if need be. And we're planning on transporting folks as necessary. When one shelter gets full, take them someplace else where there are more openings." Niklaus said.

Iif needed, mats will go on the floor to keep people out of the elements. Homeless veteran David Campbell is grateful for the shelter.

"Wet and cold is really a tough thing because once you get wet, it's hard to get dry and warm especially if you don't have warm clothes or warm socks," he said.

Retailers are also disappointed in the timing of this massive system. This is the last weekend of shopping before Christmas. Agnes Lee is the owner of Agnes women's boutique in Saratoga.

"This is the last weekend. This is terrible. This is really running our business. It's already slow enough" Saratoga boutique owner Agnes Lee said.
Story posted 2010.12.16 at 03:46 PM PST

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