Arcata city staff told the City Council on Oct. 21 that the city is preparing for winter storms and El Niño conditions by inspecting storm drains, culverts and creeks, updating emergency plans and communications, and ordering 8,000 sandbags.
Building Official Joe Bishop presented the update during the council’s Oct. 21 meeting. He said city crews had been inspecting storm-drain structures, culverts and creeks, while a local contractor was inspecting longer culverts that are difficult to access. He also said the city was cleaning and sweeping streets around drop inlets regularly.
The update included recent and planned emergency exercises, including a tabletop exercise focused on the Matthews Dam failure scenario and plans for another exercise. Staff also said the city had updated tsunami maps, standardized public-service announcements and was reviewing emergency plans, communication procedures and response roles with local partners.
The city’s official meeting minutes identify the item as an update on the city’s Emergency Preparedness Plan. The minutes do not include the presentation’s operational details, including the sandbag order and inspection work.
Bishop urged residents to sign up again for CodeRED, the city’s emergency-notification system, even if they had registered previously. City officials also encouraged residents to check their tsunami evacuation zones and use consistent evacuation information to avoid unnecessary travel into danger areas.
The presentation did not establish how the measures compare with previous years or whether they will be sufficient for the coming winter. The city has not yet provided, in the records reviewed for this story, the cost of the sandbags, their distribution plan or the results of the storm-drain and culvert inspections.
