San Anselmo knows how quickly a winter storm can become a community emergency. Preparation means taking care of the basics early, making sure our response works when we need it, and helping neighbors protect one another.
Marin County’s winter guidance describes heightened risks associated with El Niño, while emphasizing that seasonal forecasts cannot tell us exactly when or where individual storms will hit. My approach is to prepare for serious conditions and adjust as forecasts become more specific.
Prepare before the rain arrives
I would prioritize checking public drains, culverts, and known trouble spots; making sure sandbags, barriers, and equipment are ready; and reviewing and exercising the Town’s existing winter storm response plan with County, police, and fire partners. Residents and downtown businesses should know where to get help and when to take protective action.
Make rapid response practical
Clear responsibilities and agreed triggers for warnings, closures, and staffing matter when conditions change quickly. I would advocate coordination around creek conditions and weather forecasts, with communication that reaches people who may need extra help during an outage or evacuation.
Give neighbors a safe way to help
I would like San Anselmo to explore an adopt-a-drain program, drawing on San Francisco’s model. With Town guidance, neighbors could help keep surface leaves and litter away from designated drains before storms and report problems that require Public Works. This would support the Town’s maintenance work and give residents a practical way to care for their neighborhood.
Safety must be part of the design: volunteers should never lift grates, enter floodwater, work during a storm, or attempt hazardous clearing. Those situations belong with trained crews.
Plan for recovery, too
Readiness includes what happens afterward: safe reentry, debris removal, clear repair guidance, and coordination to help residents and small businesses recover. Immediate preparation should also inform a credible long-term flood strategy, grounded in regional cooperation and evidence about drainage, upstream measures, and bottlenecks.
What you can do now
Sign up for AlertMarin, review your household’s emergency plan, check gutters and drainage where it is safe to do so, and plan for outages and anyone who may need assistance. Use official emergency instructions as conditions change.