The Cupertino Courier

News

Minor storm damage reported in Cupertino

By Crystal Lu

The storms that hit the Bay Area in early January did little more than cause brief power outages in Cupertino.

The most serious incident caused by the storms was a street tree that fell on a vehicle, but no one was injured.

The city's biggest concern during the storms was Calabazas Creek, which came close to flooding, according to Rick Kitson, Cupertino's public information officer.

"We feel, frankly, very fortunate compared with neighboring communities," said Kitson. "Besides luck, we have a great maintenance program that keeps our infrastructure solid, and we're attentive to the hillsides.''

Kitson said that communications also helped.

"We used our 3N system to make more than 10,000 phone calls citywide to alert residents and trained volunteers. We also sent out 1,200 e-mails to block leaders and subscribers to our community alert program."

The city had pre-filled sandbags at 10555 Mary Ave. for residents to pick up during the storms, and distributed approximately 1,500 of them Jan. 3- 6.

The city is continuing to use its website to publicize storm preparation tips, which can be summarized as follows:

* Prepare for power outage by having a battery-operated flashlight and radio.

* Keep storm drains clear with a rake or hoe.

* Check on neighbors.

For more information on storm preparation, visit www.cupertino.org.