While it is crucial to be prepared, it is also crucial that public leadership begin providing action towards the 500 year level of protection from flooding that will some day make the warnings moot.
Flood list priorities kept brief
San Joaquin officials say grab basics: Papers, pets and radio.
By Deb Kollars - Bee Staff Writer Published 12:00 am PST Friday, December 8, 2006
As the rainy season nears, emergency planners in the Sacramento region and Central Valley are reminding people to prepare in case a major flood occurs.
In Stockton and San Joaquin County, an unusual new campaign is under way to help people get ready for a possible flood. Instead of providing long checklists of items to stockpile and tasks to accomplish, the county south of Sacramento is asking people to take just three critical steps:
• Get a radio.
• Gather important papers.
• Get identification and a carrier for your pet.
"We're trying something new," said Ron Baldwin, director of emergency operations for San Joaquin County, which is running the $75,000 campaign with the cities of Stockton and Lathrop.
"None of these steps are very costly. None are very hard. This doesn't cover everything, but it's a start."
