Saratoga News

Photograph by Robert Scheer

Workers clear a slide from Stevens Canyon Road, in Cupertino, about two miles west of Mt. Eden Road.

Little damage caused by winter storms in Saratoga

By Sarah Lombardo

It seems Saratoga was spared any ill effects from last week's winter storms. Although there were reports around the Bay Area of sandbagging and minor floods as local creeks overflowed their banks, Saratoga suffered through the rain without much worry.

Mike Di Marco, public information representative for the Santa Clara Valley Water District, said the escape from damage could be chalked up to the fact that there just wasn't that much rain.

"So far, we've been really lucky that the rainfall has been less than predicted," Di Marco said.

But Saratoga city officials weren't taking any chances. At the city's corporation yard at the end of Allendale Avenue, sandbags sat, stuffed and ready to be picked up by any residents who needed them.

"We had a crew in here last week filling sandbags," Larry Perlin, public works director, said. "We have quite a few on hand."

Perlin said he had not received any reports of flooding or rain damage in the area because of the rain.

Di Marco said the creeks in Saratoga posed no threat and were all running at acceptable levels.

This time last year, Saratoga was ravaged by storms that downed trees, knocked out power and blew awnings and sections from rooftops around the city.

Although the damage reports are down from last year, the rainfall levels are actually up.

Saratoga's rainfall is 198 percent of normal this year, reading 21.65 inches for the season, said Gary Reed, district manager of the Saratoga Cemetery District, where the city's rain gauge is kept. This time last year, the city had only received 9.45 inches for the season, according to Reed.

Reed said the recent storms brought 7.62 inches of rain from Dec. 29 through Jan. 2.

"It's just been steady," he said.

But Di Marco said even with the high levels of rain, Saratoga had a silver lining when compared with other Bay Area cities.

"You guys must have a city ordinance about the amount of rainfall allowed in your city, because Saratoga seems to have been blessed," he said.