*(turn off your sprinklers) I have to be honest, I really did not think it was going to rain as much as it has been. Did you? It's also not supposed to stop for atleast another day or two, AND tomorrow is supposed to be the heaviest storm! Daaaaang, I wonder how much flooding will occur throughout LB... The City put out some important info today, and I'll post that below, but in the meantime I thought everyone should swap stories or pics. Add them to the comments section below if you have them.

For me, we went out to pick up some food on Sunday and got DRENCHED. I guess that'll teach me to underestimate Mother Nature. Here's a quick shot I snapped off the iPhone while I was out. TheMan "says" he's going to go around tomorrow and look for some good shots, but we'll see. I think he's scared honestly. :)

Above image:(January 18, 2010 - Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images North America)

SERIOUS IMPORTANT INFO FROM THE CITY!

With powerful, record-breaking storms bearing down on the region, residents and businesses are urged to prepare themselves for more significant rainfall.

The City of Long Beach is providing sand and bags at five fire stations for residents to make their own sandbags: Fire Station 5, Fire Station 7, Fire Station 12, Fire Station 13, and Fire Station 14.

Residents must bring a shovel and fill their sand bags; however, residents with mobility impairments, or seniors who need assistance, can obtain filled bags at the Senior Center at El Dorado Park West, 2800 Studebaker Road, and the Long Beach Senior Center, 1150 E. 4th Street. 

Trash and recycling will be collected as scheduled throughout this week.  Customers can place their cans on the parkway, between the sidewalk and curb, if their street experiences flooding.  Street sweeping will be suspended on Tuesday and Wednesday due to anticipated heavy rainfall, and will resume on Thursday.

In addition, the City of Long Beach has prepared a list of important safety tips and emergency phone numbers for residents to access in the event of power outages, downed trees, flooding, etc. Emergency responders train and are prepared to respond to a disaster or other significant incident; however, residents are strongly urged to prepare themselves for a major emergency, with the goal of being able to be self-sustaining for at least 72 hours.

Preparation for the Storm

 

• The City of Long Beach is providing free sand to residents, in large bins outside the following fire stations:

• • No. 5 7575 E. Wardlow Road
  • No. 7         2295 Elm Ave.
  • No. 12       6509 Gundry Ave.
  • No. 13 2475 Adriatic Ave.
  • No. 14        5200 Eliot St.
• Sandbags will last as long as they don't have a hole. If the bags are reusable, residents should keep them for the next major rainstorm. To discard, distribute sand in a flower bed or over a lawn, and then throw away the empty bags.
• Do not take sand from the beach. It is illegal to dump sand at the beach, in the gutter or in the storm drain system.  Sand can be returned to the Public Works/San Francisco Yard, 1601 San Francisco Ave.
• For information on how to fill sandbags, visit www.publicaffairs.water.ca.gov/information/sandbag.cfm

Important Phone Numbers

• In the event of a life-threatening emergency, call 9-1-1.
• To report flooding or a clogged or blocked storm drain, please call 562.570.2726.
• To report a fallen tree or limbs, call 562.570.2770. For trees or limbs in City parks, call 562.570.4895 during business hours, or 562.570.3101 after-hours or on weekends.
• Fallen power lines are extremely dangerous. Report any downed lines to SCE immediately by calling 1.800.611.1911.  Do not touch a downed line or anyone in contact with the line.  Always assume a downed line is live.  For more information, visit http://www.sce.com/ and click on the "Safety" tab.
• Long Beach Gas & Oil Department, 562.570.2140
• Long Beach Water Department, 562.570.2390
• City Street Lights/City Light & Power Co., 888.544.4868

Safety Tips

• Remember to slow down and drive carefully. Please exercise a great deal of caution and patience, and allow yourself plenty of time to get where you are going. Avoid large puddles and do not attempt to cross running water.
• Stay out of the LA and San Gabriel Rivers and Flood Control Channels due to possible high waters.
• Beach-goers are advised to avoid local waters for at least 72 hours after the end of rainfall due to the high bacteria and pollution levels from urban runoff.
• Individuals can monitor the weather on television news, including the Weather Channel 76 on Charter Cable; radio news stations such as KFI 640 AM or KFWB 980 AM; and websites such as http://www.noaa.gov/. In the left hand column, insert a Long Beach zip code, and a local map and report will appear.

Other Useful Information and Websites:

• American Red Cross, Greater Long Beach Chapter, http://www.greaterlongbeachrc.org/, 562.595.6341
• Long Beach Fire Department Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), www.longbeach.gov/fire/cert, 562.570.LBFD
• Southern California Edison, www.sce.com/Safety