Modesto gets 100-plus calls about wind-blown trees. What’s ahead with latest storm?
The Modesto area awaited its next storm Thursday while cleaning up downed trees and other damage from the last.
The National Weather Service forecast up to half an inch of rain Thursday and up to 2 feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada watershed.
The weekend could bring up to 1 inch of rain and 2 feet of snow. A bigger blast could come Monday and Tuesday, with up to 3 inches of rain and 5 feet of snow.
The storms already have caused minor flooding in areas with poor drainage. The Modesto area’s main concern is Dry Creek, which does not have a dam, unlike the Tuolumne and other rivers.
The central Sierra snowpack stood at 186% of average Thursday, the California Department of Water Resources reported. The snow typically falls from November through March and is the main water supply for the state.
Modesto spokeswoman Diana Ruiz-Del Re said the city’s forestry division received 114 calls between Wednesday morning and Thursday morning.
She said 37 involved trees or limbs falling in yards, on sidewalks or in streets. Another 17 were trees or limbs falling on houses or cars.
Ruiz-Del Re said 45 calls were pending. They are placed in that status if there is not an imminent threat of damage or injury.
The forestry division responds only to calls involving city trees, Ruiz-Del Re said. These trees can be found in front or side yards along streets in residential neighborhoods but not in back yards, she said.
During this time of year without a storm, the forestry division typically receives 350 to 450 calls in a month, Ruiz-Del Re said.
There were no reports of injuries associated with the fallen trees or tree limbs, said Darin Jesberg, the public information officer with the Central Valley Incident Management Team. Jesberg also is Modesto Fire’s deputy chief.
He said the water level in Dry Creek has receded substantially and is well within its banks, but officials expect more rain and more inflow into local waterways.
“Dry Creek is expected to rise and surge again within 24 hours,” Jesberg said. “We advise anyone who lives in low-lying areas of Dry Creek to take precautions.”
He said Modesto residents can get updates and other information on the city’s website, modestogov.com, by clicking on the “storm information” link at the top. Residents throughout Stanislaus County can visit stanemergency.com.
No major power outages were reported by the Modesto and Turlock irrigation districts.
As of noon Thursday, MID has recorded 9.07 inches of rain in Modesto in the water year that started July 1. An average year brings 12.12 inches.
Don Pedro Reservoir on the Tuolumne River was at 62% of capacity Wednesday, DWR reported. It is the main storage for TID and MID and was drawn down by drought the past three years.
New Melones Reservoir on the Stanislaus River stood at 31%. It supplies the Oakdale and South San Joaquin irrigation districts and part of the federal Central Valley Project.
