Sandbags available at no cost

GOT SANDBAGS: Pictured are Public Safety Chairman Rob Mucha shoveling gravel into a bag held by Eric Werner, president of Werner Corp., as Robert Lizano, general manager of Tom's Farms looks on. Station 64 firefighters, pictured from left, are firefighter/paramedic Brandon Forsberg, Engineer Kevin Hansen and Capt. Lorne Ellickson. Thank you to all for providing this community service.

GOT SANDBAGS: Pictured are Public Safety Chairman Rob Mucha shoveling gravel into a bag held by Eric Werner, president of Werner Corp., as Robert Lizano, general manager of Tom’s Farms looks on. Station 64 firefighters, pictured from left, are firefighter/paramedic Brandon Forsberg, Engineer Kevin Hansen and Capt. Lorne Ellickson. Thank you to all for providing this community service.

Folks who have lived here for several years know some areas of Temescal Valley are prone to flooding during heavy rains, including community streets and back yards. With the predicted El Nino storms, the best time to prepare for possible flooding is before the rain begins.

Thanks to the We Are Temescal Valley Public Safety Committee which coordinated with Werner Corp., Tom’s Farms and Riverside County/Cal Fire Station 64, sandbags and sand are now available to all Temescal Valley residents and businesses. Sorry – you’ll have to fill the bags yourselves.

Each household can pick up 20 bags at Station 64, 25310 Campbell Ranch Road in Sycamore Creek. The sand — actually bird’s-eye gravel donated by Werner Corp., is piled at Tom’s Farms in the unpaved south parking lot on Temescal Canyon Road. Bring your own shovel.

Boy Scouts from local Troop 13 will be at the gravel pile from 1 to 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 27 and Saturday, Nov. 28, to help folks who would have difficulty filling their bags. Again, bring a shovel.

Bags should be filled no more than one-half to two-thirds full and either covered or stored out of the sun until ready to be used — the bags disintegrate quickly in direct sunlight. The bags will not prevent flooding and only should be used to divert the flow of water so flooding doesn’t occur. Stack them no higher than three bags deep. Bags also can be purchased at Home Depot for 32 cents each.

Here are a few helpful links: