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County officials recommend preparing your home ahead of potential rain

Because of the anticipated changes to our weather conditions, it is very important to be prepared especially after the severe storms residents on the Central Coast faced last month.
Posted at 4:54 PM, Feb 20, 2023
and last updated 2023-02-20 22:14:21-05

From flooded roads to devastated homes, it is hard to forget the scene after a series of storms hit the Central Coast in January. That's why, with rain, wind and cold temperatures on the way, the San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services is asking residents to take action now.

“Making sure that your patio furniture is tied down, that you have any loose limbs or things from trees that those are taken care of. Cleaning out your gutters is also a really important one,” said Rachel Dion, San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services Coordinator. “We're also asking residents if you're cleaning out that storm debris to make sure that you're not throwing it into our creeks where we can also see issues with flooding if culverts are blocked with debris that can cause localized flooding.”

The county is opening up several debris collection sites to assist residents who are cleaning up their homes.

Debris collection bins will be available at the following locations:

  • Nipomo - Nipomo Community Services District, 148 S. Wilson St.; Tuesday, Feb. 21 - Friday, Feb. 24
  • Oceano - Oceano Community Airport parking lot; Tuesday, Feb. 21 - Friday, Feb. 24
  • Templeton - North County Recycling, 3360 La Cruz Way; Tuesday, Feb. 21 - Friday, Feb. 24
  • Shandon - CW Clarke Park, 101 W. Centre St.; Thursday, Feb. 23 - Friday, Feb. 24
  • Paso Robles - CAL FIRE Station 35, 275 Cypress Mountain Dr.; Tuesday, Feb. 21 - Wednesday, Feb. 22

The sites will be open between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.

In addition to cleaning up your home, county officials recommend bringing your pets indoors or securing larger animals in a barn if possible.

Because of the potential for high winds, they suggest having enough supplies such as non-perishable food, medication, and water in case there are power outages.

“We want to make sure that you're prepared for that, making sure that you've got your flashlights handy, that you have batteries for your flashlights if you have a generator, making sure that's fueled up and ready to go,” Dion added. “Of course, always practicing safe generator safety — don't run your generator inside your home, make sure it's outside. ”

If you are looking to secure your home, there are sand piles available throughout the county. If you do go to these sites, don’t forget your shovel and sandbags.

Sandbags can be found at hardware stores such as Home Depot, Farm Supply Co., and Miner’s Ace Hardware.

For a list of sand pile locations, click here.