Week’s weather gives Burbank crews a chance to try out El Niño preparations

For many area residents, this week’s rains may have drowned out any lingering doubts that El Niño would ever bring the wet weather that’s been anticipated for months. The storms also gave Burbank city employees a “dry run,” so to speak, at addressing some of the challenges that come with heavy rains.

As of Thursday, the city had received slightly more than 3 inches of rain so far this month, according to the National Weather Service, close to three times as much rain as it saw in all of January 2014. The bulk of the precipitation came on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Earlier this week, the Public Works Department ran out of sandbags for Burbank residents who came seeking them. The city provides residents up to 25 pre-filled bags for free and has distributed more than 8,000 this season, so far, said Drew Sugars, a city spokesman, via email Thursday.

“Tuesday alone they handed out more than 3,000 sandbags,” he said.

Eric Baumgardner, the city’s emergency management coordinator, said the first of what could be many winter storms, with a lull in precipitation afterward, also gave city workers an opportunity to “kick the tires” on their preparations.

The two-day storm helped identify some of the possible problem areas in the city, he said, though most of the issues seen throughout the city were typical of a strong one-day storm. The weekend forecast includes a chance of rain, but drier weather next week will allow the city to dry out again, he said.

As El Niño continues, it could bring a sustained onslaught of rains with fewer dry days in between, which could saturate the city’s hillsides “like a sponge” and bring bigger problems, Baumgardner said.

One of the problem spots this week was near Thurber Place and Via Alta, which saw “a significant amount of sloughing.” The Public Works Department positioned a crew in the area to clean debris throughout the storm, he said.

At one point, water along Country Club Drive started running brown, he said, though that was only a sign of “normal erosion.” Unless the runoff becomes thick, muddy and dark, it’s likely not a concern, but if it starts to run “like a really thin milkshake,” residents should call 911, Baumgardner said.

He said residents along that street, in particular, which is designed to channel water to a debris basin below the homes, should not park their cars along the curb when heavy rains are forecast.

“It only takes a few inches of fast-moving water to actually float a car,” he said.

A new website called ElNinoReady.org launched by Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena this fall provides information detailing sandbag use, as well as plans and safety precautions residents can take to prepare for wetter-than-average weather conditions. Residents can also sign up for additional emergency alerts on the site.

There were no emergency calls for rain-related issues on private property this week, Baumgardner said, which is an indication “people are heeding the warnings” and preparing for the storms. He said early preparation is key.

“We want people to get sandbags before they need them, not when they need them,” he said.

Residents should also clear gutters, slope drains or drainage benches, and ensure that flat roofs are draining properly, he said. He advised residents to have an emergency kit handy and to obey posted road closures and barricades if they venture out during storms.

Sandbags can be picked up at the Field Services Administration Office, 124 S. Lake St., on weekdays between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. Proof of residency must be provided.

“The sandbags are restocked and are available if anyone needs them,” Sugars said.

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Chad Garland, chad.garland@latimes.com

Twitter: @chadgarland