East Bay residents are preparing their homes in anticipation of a storm that has already hit parts of the Bay Area.
Sandbag stations were set up for residents in Matinez ahead of Friday’s raid, and the City of Oakland has public work crews inspecting sewer pipes to prevent runoff.
The mix of wind and rain also brings the potential of downed trees in the area.
“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,” said Zac Wilder, an Arborist.
Some Oakland residents are a bit more on edge as they worry about the storm’s effects on the Oakland Hills, which was impacted by the recent Keller Fire.
“In the wake of everything, to have a pending storm do more damage to our home is challenging,” said Delane Sims, who had her house damaged in the fire.
Sims’ home is currently under major repair, which forced her to put a tarp on the rooftop to prevent rain from coming in.
She said the concerns are water damage and mold.
However, some residents in the hills said they are not as concerned, especially about landslides.
“There’s so much vegetation up there, so I don’t see a landslide coming,” said Chris Dobbins of Oakland.
