Crime & Safety

911 Overloaded With Non-Emergency Calls: San Mateo County

Officials are asking the public to refrain from calling 911 to report non-emergency issues related to Tuesday's storm. Here's what to do.

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County officials asked residents Tuesday to avoid calling 911 for any issues that were not direct emergencies.
County officials asked residents Tuesday to avoid calling 911 for any issues that were not direct emergencies. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

SAN MATEO, CA — As a powerful push of wind and rain swept across the Bay Area on Tuesday, officials in San Mateo urged residents to avoid calling 911 for anything that was not life-threatening.

The county said dispatchers were overloaded in the afternoon fielding non-urgent calls related to the storm, reducing their ability to handle real emergencies. Fallen trees and other storm-related damage that is not immediately life-threatening should instead be reported to 211 or local law enforcement's non-emergency line, officials said.

A check of traffic issues listed on 511 illustrated just how busy local crews were responding to the storm Tuesday afternoon. At least 275,000 PG&E customers were without power in the Bay Area.

Find out what's happening in San Mateofor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Here's a snapshot of what CHP was handling around 1 p.m.

San Mateo County

Find out what's happening in San Mateofor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • CA-82 (El Camino Real) from Trousdale Dr to Peninsula avenue in Burlingame. All lanes closed in both directions due to multiple down trees.
  • CA-84 westbound between Portola Rd to Fox Hill road in San Mateo County. All lanes are blocked, due to an emergency road closure.
  • CA-92 east of Main St in Half moon Bay. All lanes are blocked in both directions, due to weather.
  • US-101 southbound at Broadway, HOV lane is closed due to flooding.
  • CA-84 between Pescadero Creek Rd. and Old La Honda Rd. in San Mateo County. All lanes are blocked in both directions, due to down tree and wires.
  • I-280 southbound north of Trousdale Dr. in Burlingame. All lanes blocked, due to a downed tree.

    • Santa Clara County

  • US-101 southbound between Pacheco Pass Hwy and First street in Gilroy. Right lane remains blocked, due to a flooding.
  • CA-9 northbound and southbound between Sanborn to Redwood gulch road. in Santa Clara County. All lanes blocked in both directions, due to a landslide.
  • CA-152 at Holohan Rd in Santa Clara county. All lanes blocked in both directions, due to flooding.
  • CA-85 southbound north of Fremont Ave in Sunnyvale. All lanes are blocked, due to downed trees.

    • Residents can check the latest 511 alerts online and sign up to receive SMC alerts here.

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