50-Foot Pine Tree Falls, Sandbags Ordered: Pleasanton Storm Updates

PLEASANTON, CA — The worst rains cleared up Thursday afternoon in Pleasanton, though an Areal Flood Warning was extended from 3:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. Pleasanton and the Tri-Valley can expect a dry Friday before rains pick up again Saturday and Sunday.

The second atmospheric river left behind several flooded and closed streets full of storm debris. As of 5 p.m. Thursday, Dublin recorded a 24-hour total of 1.71 inches of rain, while Livermore recorded 0.69 inches.

Numerous downed trees were reported throughout the city, including a 50-foot pine tree that fell near Del Prado Park. Still, the city said it was better prepared than it was for the New Year’s storm.

“The City of Pleasanton worked throughout the night on Wednesday responding to storm impacts, which primarily consisted of downed trees in roadways and on private property,” the city said in a statement released Wednesday. “As rain continued to fall, we did not see the same impacts as we did during the December 31 storm. This can be credited to the tremendous amount of work crews undertook on Monday and Tuesday clearing leaves, dirt, and debris from storm drains, drainage pipes, ditches, and creeks. Crews monitored flood-prone areas throughout the night on Wednesday and during the day Thursday.”

In Pleasanton, Foothill Road is closed from Bernal Avenue to Kilkare Road, and Happy Valley Road is closed from Pleasanton-Sunol Road to Alisal Street. East Bay Regional Parks remained closed Thursday, though the agency said some may reopen Friday depending on conditions. Augustin Bernal Park in Pleasanton will remain closed for an extended amount of time as damages are assessed and repairs are made to trails, the city said.

See here for more closures, according to the Alameda County Public Works Agency.

Sporadic outages affecting a single customer were reported in Pleasanton throughout Thursday, though on Wednesday 1907 customers living around Pleasanton Sports Park lost power for a few hours.

In San Ramon, 380 PG&E customers living in an area east of 680 between Greenbrook and El Capitan drives lost power from 9:41 p.m. Wednesday well into Thursday morning, one of the largest outages in the Tri-Valley.

Along the coast, it was a different story. At the height of the storm, nearly 100,000 PG&E customers were without power. As of 3:30 p.m. Thursday, thousands of customers throughout the Peninsula, North Bay, and around Berkeley and Oakland are still without power.

The largest Tri-Valley evacuations came in Sunol. Residents along Kilkare Road, Palomares Road, and Niles Canyon Road were asked to leave their homes Wednesday, according to the Alameda County Office of Emergency Services. The Sunol Glen School, just west of 680 and south Pleasanton Ridge Park, sustained significant damage when Sinbad Creek burst Saturday night and damaged three classrooms, two offices, the garden, the athletic track, and the playground, Sunol Glen Superintendent Molleen Barnes told Danville-San Ramon.

Pleasanton said it has scheduled a large delivery of sand and sandbags to be delivered and available by 10 a.m. Friday at the City’s Operations Services Department at 3333 Busch Road. “This delivery will be significantly larger than any previous deliveries and we encourage residents to take advantage of the increased stock to prepare their homes and businesses before the next storm,” the city said. On Wednesday and into Thursday, the city ran out of sandbags.

The Alameda County Public Works Agency also has sandbags available at their Maintenance and Operations Corporation Yard at 4825 Gleason Drive. Zone 7 Water Agency is also offering pre-filled sandbags at the Parkside Administrative Building on 5997 Parkside Drive, though they may also run out.

For a full list of storm safety tips, local contacts, and closures, visit the city’s Storm Update page. See here for further resources, tips, and useful contact information.

To receive local emergency notifications, text your zip code to 888–777. For Alameda County notifications, sign up for AC Alerts here.

To report flooding, damage, or other hazards, call the Pleasanton Operation Services Department at 925-931-550 during business hours, 925-931-5100 after-hours, or email osd@cityofpleasantonca.gov. To report downed power or electrical lines, contact PG&E at 1-800-743-5000.


Do you have storm stories or photos? Email michael.wittner@patch.com.