STOCKTON, Calif. — A flood watch went into effect for much of the Valley and foothills as residents in Stockton spent Saturday preparing for rain expected to intensify later in the week.
At the Stockton Soccer Complex, gates were locked, but preparations were underway. A large pile of sand sat on standby in the distance, part of the city’s planning if conditions worsen.
Clouds hung over Midtown Stockton as light rain fell Saturday, though heavier rainfall had not yet arrived. The sound of leaf blowers filled neighborhoods as residents worked to clear debris.
Rick Long spent part of the day cleaning gutters around his home, preparing for what he expects will be a busy stretch ahead. Long works as a handyman and said storm-related repairs tend to increase during wet weather.
“Yeah, I was doing the whole front and everything and the side and everything, trying to get these gutters clean so we have some good flow coming down here because the rain is coming any moment,” Long said.
Long said he has already started getting more calls for repairs and encouraged others to prepare ahead of time if they can.
“If you have time, extra time to prepare for these storms, go ahead and do it any chance you can,” Long said.
Amber Crum also spent her Saturday getting ready.
“It floods really badly here because of the alignment of our roads, and I just want to make sure that nobody has to get out of their vehicle in the flood because of it coming in this week,” Crum said, adding that she tries to help city workers during the busy storm season.
City workers were on standby Saturday. Stockton plans to open three free sandbag locations if sustained winds exceed 45 miles per hour and if one and a half inches of rain fall within 24 hours.
The city also has warming zones on standby. Those would open if overnight temperatures fall below 35 degrees for two days or drop below 40 degrees with more than a 50% chance of rain.
San Joaquin County’s Office of Emergency Services was also on standby, with extra staff ready to be called in over the weekend and during the holiday if conditions worsen.
For now, residents and officials alike were watching the forecast closely.
“Good day to get some work done around here,” Long said. “The rain is coming, I will say that.”
Watch more from ABC10: San Joaquin County urges residents to prepare ahead of several days of rain