Well, the rains really kicked us hard yesterday.  When you drove around town, you could see the flooding beyond the culverts.  The rivers were particularly strong as you headed down the steeper streets.

Last night, some 4,100 households experienced a power outage too.  This happened around 11:00pm, which disrupted key TV viewing – no worries, since you can view the Saturday Night Live clips on Hulu.

With this wake-up call, it’s time to get ready for the winter storms and protect your castles.  Oakland Public Works is providing materiel for local residents, before the floods arrive.

Come with proof of residency and your household is entitled to pick up 20 sandbags and plastic sheeting free from Public Works, on Shepherd Canyon Rd (map).  You may also stop by local fire stations for five sandbags, when there’s bad weather ahead.  All these locations are open weekdays from 8:00am – 9:00pm, and weekends from 8:00am – 4:30pm.

According to Public Works, residents can help prevent floods by keeping drainages clear.  They recommend that you:  check and clean private drainage systems; do not place leaves, debris or lawn clippings near storm drains; and place leaves and green trimming in your green cart for weekly recycling pickup.

Oaklanders have been making strides to keep the creeks and drainages cleared out.  On the Creek to Bay Day, in September, some 1364 volunteers showed up city-wide to collect garbage and green waste.  There’s another program to Maintain-A-Drain, where volunteers lay claim to their very own drains and help prevent flooding as well.

Still, we’re at the mercy of Mother Nature.  If you do see any flooding or storm drain problems, please reach Public Works at (510)-615-5566.  Public Works staff picks up the phone weekdays from 8:00am – 4:30pm, while the line is forwarded to Fire Dispatch after hours.