The Cupertino Courier

Photograph by George Sakkestad

Ken Capie works on a drain pipe. During the storm Feb. 2, the pipe burst, threatening a brand new home in the Inspiration Heights area.

Cupertino sees worst flooding in recent times

By Pam Marino

Churning water rushing down Calabasas and Stevens creeks damaged dozens of Cupertino homes forcing some families to seek emergency shelter away from some of the worst flooding in the city's recent history.

Exactly how many homes were flooded and how many residents were affected was not immediately available. A damage estimate was also not available.

The only formal evacuation came early Tuesday morning, Feb. 3, when three people were helped by city employees from the Simms House, a city-owned home for low-income residents on the edge of McClellan Ranch Park in the Stevens Creek flood plane. McClellan Road was temporarily shut down as the creek cascaded over the street.

"Nobody has seen this extent of flooding," City Manager Don Brown said last week after the first storm on Monday and Tuesday. During the first storm, approximately 8,000 Cupertino homes were without power for up to 12 hours.

The city distributed more than 6,000 sand bags last week, running out before the second big storm over the weekend. As of Tuesday of this week sand bags were back in stock at 10555 Mary Ave.

Residents along the swollen Calabasas Creek were the worst hit both early Tuesday morning, Feb. 3, and on Saturday, Feb. 7. Rushing water flooded over Miller Avenue, flooding at least seven apartments at the Gardens of Fountainbleu Apartments with both water and mud.

Witnesses said when the water cascaded over the street, instead of flowing to the other side and continuing down the creek, it was diverted by concrete dividers around a Santa Clara Valley Water District work project. The water flowed down the entrance of the complex, and continued down a driveway, nearly encircling the building. Apartments farthest away from the creek sustained the worst damage, with water nearly waist high in some lower rooms. Numerous other apartments were also damaged.

"Somebody's to blame here," said Fountainbleu resident Randy Close. He called the flooding into the apartments "a semi-manmade problem."

According to city Public Works Director Bert Viskovich, after the first storm the water district removed a center section of the dividers at the city's request. During the second storm the apartments flooded again, despite the opening in the dividers. Viskovich blamed the massive amount of water flowing down the creek for the flooding.

Close and his wife, Lisa, said they were able to save important items like photo albums and a computer when the water began to rise in the bottom room of their apartment. The extra room, below two other levels with the main living area and bedrooms, had about 10 inches of water in it, they said. They lost some children's toys and some textbooks.

"Needless to say the stress level is pretty high," Close said. He took four days off from work to clean up the mess. He said his renters insurance does not cover flood damage.

Calabazas Creek overflowed at other points in the city as well, flooding several homes, City Manager Brown said. Bollinger and Miller were both shut down at points during the two storms.

During Saturday's storm, water flooded down Miller Avenue to Stevens Creek Boulevard, soaking parts of Vallco Fashion Park. The lower parking levels were flooded and Sears suffered some damage.

At Blackberry Farm, which is owned by the city, the nine-hole course was inundated and the club house, located below the Blue Pheasant Restaurant, flooded. Blackberry Farm's pool and picnic areas were swamped, filling the two swimming pools and one wading pool with mud. The newly renovated changing rooms were. Damage estimates for Blackberry Farm may remain under $100,000, Brown said.

The damages to Deep Hills Golf Course could top the $100,000 mark, according to club operations manager Chris Kulpa. Parts of the 18-hole golf course were under six feet of water at one point, he said.

"All in all, this was not a very good storm for us," Kulpa said.

The course loses thousands of dollars in revenue each day it is closed, according to Kulpa. He said crews have been working furiously to reopen at least nine holes by this Saturday, Feb. 14.

Off of Foothill Boulevard the Sunny View Retirement home suffered flooding, and damage was reported at the Foothill Apartments, according to Marie Moore, emergency services coordinator. She said nine families from the complex requested assistance after the first storm; some were helped by Cupertino Community Services.

Farther up Foothill Boulevard in the area known as Inspiration Heights, a storm drain in front of a newly constructed home failed during the first storm on Monday, Feb. 2. Water rushed up over the entrance to the drain and threatened to enter the home at one point.

Viskovich said the city will require the developer to make modifications to the new drain, although he said the severity of the first storm, which dropped an estimated six inches in 24 hours on Cupertino, would inundate any drain.

"When we reach these biggies there is no pipe in the ground that can handle it," Viskovich said.

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