Bay Area

With Heavy Rains Predicted Stay Alert and Report Problems

While official forecasts can change day to day, the outlook for Berkeley includes some periods of strong wind gusts. A National Weather Service flood watch is in effect for the Bay Area through Sunday, March 12, with the worst rains anticipated on Thursday into Friday.

Published

1 year ago

March 21, 2023

Oakland Post

With rains and winds expected through March 12, help keep Berkeley safe by doing your part to reduce hazards and flooding in your neighborhood. Report downed power lines, clogged drains, fallen trees, and other storm-related issues.

Prepare your household and clean on and around your property as needed. Call 911 for downed power lines. Call 311 to report clogged drains or fallen trees.

The combination of wind with drenched soil increases the risk of downed trees, which could lead to power outages as well.

Prepare, stay alert, use extra caution on roads, and report issues.

If your property has a history of flooding, sandbags used effectively can help divert the path of water.A limited number of sandbags are available to Berkeley residents and businesses on a first-come first-served basis:

City’s Corporation Yard
1326 Allston Way
Monday—Friday, 8 am – 4 pm

Bring ID or a business card.

Report downed power lines to 911.If you see damaged power lines or electrical equipment, call 911 immediately, then notify PG&E by calling 1-800-743-5002. Do not touch or drive over a downed power line.
Call 311 or key city lines to report clogged storm drains, fallen trees that block roads or other storm damage.After hours, you can also call these numbers:
- (510) 981-6620, for clogged storm drains, flooding, lights or traffic signals
- (510) 981-6660, to report downed trees

We expect high call volumes. If you have issues unrelated to the storm, try to keep phone lines free by reporting issues through our Report & Pay online reporting tool or via email, customerservice@berkeleyca.gov.

PREPARE YOUR HOUSEHOLD FOR WINTER STORMS

Other significant storms may lie ahead. Protect your home from possible flooding by taking steps to prepare in advance:

Clean on and around your property as needed: gutters, rain downspouts, driveways, and culverts. Remove trash and debris around fences and gardens, and clear basement drains.
Check submersible pumps and sump pumps to make sure they are operating properly.
Keep flashlights and spare batteries on hand in case of a power failure.

STAY SAFE DURING POWER OUTAGES

Storm damage to power lines may cause outages. Stay informed by signing up to get outage alerts from PG&E for your address by text, email, or phone. PG&E also has an online outage map, which is updated every 15 minutes.

If you experience a power outage, unplug or turn off all electrical appliances to avoid overloading circuits and to prevent fire hazards when power is restored. Leave a single lamp on to alert you when power returns. Turn your appliances back on one at a time when conditions return to normal. If you are driving and encounter a signal that is out, treat it as a four-way stop.

HELP CLEAN STORM DRAINS

City crews will be working throughout the storm to address storm-related calls, but you can help reduce flooding by examining the storm drains near you.

You can use simple tools like a rake and garbage bags to remove debris from storm drains, a network that helps quickly remove surface water from our streets.

Fallen leaves and other debris can always accumulate, despite year-round efforts to maintain, inspect, clean, and repair the approximately 7,000 storm drains.

Learn more about how you can clean out storm drains near you on our Adopt-a-Drain storm drain program, where you can sign up to be a regular volunteer.

With the storm expected to bring heavy rain and winds, help keep your household and our community safe by reporting issues and doing your part to reduce flooding in your neighborhood.

LINKS

Winter Storm Preparedness(City of Berkeley)
PG&E Outage alerts
Report & Pay (City of Berkeley online reporting tool)
Adopt a Drain(City of Berkeley)

Keep up with City of Berkeley news via our news page, email, or on Twitter @cityofberkeley

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

13 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

4 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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Bay Area

State Controller Malia Cohen Keynote Speaker at S.F. Wealth Conference

California State Controller Malia Cohen delivered the keynote speech to over 50 business women at the Black Wealth Brunch held on March 28 at the War Memorial and Performing Arts Center at 301 Van Ness Ave. in San Francisco. The Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) hosted the Green Room event to launch its platform designed to close the racial wealth gap in Black and Brown communities.

Published

6 days ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

American Business Women’s Association Vice President Velma Landers, left, with California State Controller Malia Cohen (center), and ABWA President LaRonda Smith at the Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the ABWA at the Black Wealth Brunch.

By Carla Thomas

The Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) hosted the Green Room event to launch its platform designed to close the racial wealth gap in Black and Brown communities.

“Our goal is to educate Black and Brown families in the masses about financial wellness, wealth building, and how to protect and preserve wealth,” said ABWA San Francisco Chapter President LaRonda Smith.

ABWA’s mission is to bring together businesswomen of diverse occupations and provide opportunities for them to help themselves and others grow personally and professionally through leadership, education, networking support, and national recognition.

“This day is about recognizing influential women, hearing from an accomplished woman as our keynote speaker and allowing women to come together as powerful people,” said ABWA SF Chapter Vice President Velma Landers.

More than 60 attendees dined on the culinary delights of Chef Sharon Lee of The Spot catering, which included a full soul food brunch of skewered shrimp, chicken, blackened salmon, and mac and cheese.

Cohen discussed the many economic disparities women and people of color face. From pay equity to financial literacy, Cohen shared not only statistics, but was excited about a new solution in motion which entailed partnering with Californians for Financial Education.

“I want everyone to reach their full potential,” she said. “Just a few weeks ago in Sacramento, I partnered with an organization, Californians for Financial Education.

“We gathered 990 signatures and submitted it to the [California] Secretary of State to get an initiative on the ballot that guarantees personal finance courses for every public school kid in the state of California.

“Every California student deserves an equal opportunity to learn about filing taxes, interest rates, budgets, and understanding the impact of credit scores. The way we begin to do that is to teach it,” Cohen said.

By equipping students with information, Cohen hopes to close the financial wealth gap, and give everyone an opportunity to reach their full financial potential. “They have to first be equipped with the information and education is the key. Then all we need are opportunities to step into spaces and places of power.”

Cohen went on to share that in her own upbringing, she was not guided on financial principles that could jump start her finances. “Communities of color don’t have the same information and I don’t know about you, but I did not grow up listening to my parents discussing their assets, their investments, and diversifying their portfolio. This is the kind of nomenclature and language we are trying to introduce to our future generations so we can pivot from a life of poverty so we can pivot away and never return to poverty.”

Cohen urged audience members to pass the initiative on the November 2024 ballot.

“When we come together as women, uplift women, and support women, we all win. By networking and learning together, we can continue to build generational wealth,” said Landers. “Passing a powerful initiative will ensure the next generation of California students will be empowered to make more informed financial decisions, decisions that will last them a lifetime.”