East Bay Residents Brace for Storm Aftermath

Residents of the East Bay area are taking precautions to shield their homes and properties as a storm that has already affected parts of the Bay Area approaches. The city has set up sandbag stations in Martinez for locals to fortify barriers against potential flooding as anticipation grows for the storm expected later this week.

In Oakland, public works teams are actively inspecting sewer systems to avert potential runoff problems. The storm forecast includes wind and rain, which increases the risk of trees being uprooted. Zac Wilder, a local arborist, explained the inherent dangers, stating, «What can happen is the ground gets saturated. It’s quiet. People think they’re out of the woods, and then the wind comes, and that’s when the trees start coming down.»

Residents in the Oakland Hills are particularly anxious, still reeling from the recent Keller Fire that caused significant damage in the area. «In the wake of everything, to have a pending storm do more damage to our home is challenging,» expressed Delane Sims, whose house was damaged by the fire. Sims is currently undergoing extensive repairs on her home and has taken measures like installing a tarp over the roof to prevent rain from entering.

While concerns about water damage and mold are prevalent among some residents, others are less apprehensive regarding the possibility of landslides, with certain individuals expressing confidence in the area’s landscape resilience. «There’s so much vegetation up there, so I don’t see a landslide coming,» commented Chris Dobbins, a resident of Oakland.