Councilwoman says Menlo Park needs a new alert system and a short-term flood-prevention plan Councilwoman says Menlo Park needs a new alert system and a short-term flood-prevention plan (January 11, 2006)

By Rory Brown

Almanac Staff Writer

At the stormy start to the new year, residents and business owners in Palo Alto received telephone warnings that San Francisquito Creek was near flood levels.

Menlo Park received no warning at all, said Menlo Park Councilwoman Mickie Winkler, one of several people who gathered at the Menlo Park council chambers January 5 for a special meeting to discuss local response to the storms. The meeting was hosted by the creek's Joint Powers Authority and included officials from Menlo Park, Palo Alto and East Palo Alto.

Heavy rainfall December 31 caused the creek to come within a foot of overrunning levees in East Palo Alto and spilling onto the Chaucer Street bridge in Palo Alto.

Officials and residents from Palo Alto and East Palo Alto kept close tabs on the rising creek, and the Santa Clara Valley Water District organized crews to clear debris clogging the creek's flow.

But Menlo Park officials didn't get word of flood threats until Ms. Winkler called the city's police department and Assistant City Manager Audrey Seymour.

Ms. Winkler and Mayor Nicholas Jellins also urged the police department to warn residents near the creek of potential flooding.

Although the likelihood of flooding in Menlo Park appeared to be much lower than in Palo Alto or East Palo Alto, Ms. Winkler said there needs to be better communication between city governments and a better alert system for Menlo Park residents.

"I'm not very impressed that I was the person to push the button," she said.

In 1998, El Nino floods caused an estimated $30 million in damage in Menlo Park, Palo Alto and East Palo Alto, prompting the creation of the JPA.

The JPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers signed a contract November 17 for the corps to start a $7.4 million feasibility study of ways to protect communities along the creek from flooding.

The study is scheduled to take four years, with another four to five years dedicated to a design and engineering phase. The entire project could take 30 years, said Ms. Winkler.

But Ms. Winkler and residents from the three cities said recent storms reminded them that before the project is finished, creek-side communities remain in serious flood danger.

"There are more than 5,000 homes subject to creek flooding," said Ms. Winkler. "We need to answer a lot of questions, and we need answers a lot sooner than 30 years from now."
INFORMATION @infortext:To help prevent flooding, residents should keep leaves and debris away from storm drains, says city staff. If a clogged storm drain cannot be cleared, report the address to the Department of Public Works at 330-6780. Reports and digital photographs of problematic sites should be e-mailed to Ruben Nino, the city's director of engineering services, at rrnino@menlopark.org. For a list of sandbag locations, go online to menlopark.org or call 330-6780.

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