A storm approaching the Sacramento Valley has local arborists and the Sacramento Fire Department preparing for an uptick in calls for service.”The older the tree, the more established the root system is. But at the same time, the more risk is involved because the root system is older, so they can only withstand so much rain and wind,” said Scott Shaw, owner of Fair Oaks Arborist.Shaw notes that during storms, calls for service increase when trees get waterlogged and limbs hit the ground.”Even if we have a micro fracture and a stem somewhere up top that we can’t see on a normal day-to-day basis, when it’s mixed with the right amount of wind and rain – that’s usually what causes the fracture to completely fail,” Shaw said.The Sacramento Fire Department also sees a spike in calls during storms.”We get the initial call for any type of downed power lines. Make sure to call 911 so we can at least secure the area, keep people away, and then we’ll be working with our partners at SMUD to make sure that they come out as well and secure that power,” said Justin Sylvia of the Sacramento Fire Department.Sylvia says their main focus shifts to situation awareness once water levels near creeks start rising.”Every time we see the waters rise, we typically see some type of rescue or assistance call that’s needed. That’s why we have what we call ‘ditch boats’ – they’re boats without a motor on them. We can float them out to wherever these folks are and we can rescue them or assist them off of these islands,” Sylvia said.Captain Justin Sylvia says their calls for service at Bannon Island tend to be high on rainy days due to unhoused people living nearby.REAL-TIME TRAFFIC MAPClick here to see our interactive traffic map.TRACK INTERACTIVE, DOPPLER RADARClick here to see our interactive radar.DOWNLOAD OUR APP FOR THE LATESTHere is where you can download our app.Follow our KCRA weather team on social mediaMeteorologist Tamara Berg on Facebook and X.Meteorologist Dirk Verdoorn on FacebookMeteorologist/Climate Reporter Heather Waldman on Facebook and X.Meteorologist Kelly Curran on X.Watch our forecasts on TV or onlineHere’s where to find our latest video forecast. You can also watch a livestream of our latest newscast here. The banner on our website turns red when we’re live.We’re also streaming on the Very Local app for Roku, Apple TV or Amazon Fire TV.
A storm approaching the Sacramento Valley has local arborists and the Sacramento Fire Department preparing for an uptick in calls for service.
“The older the tree, the more established the root system is. But at the same time, the more risk is involved because the root system is older, so they can only withstand so much rain and wind,” said Scott Shaw, owner of Fair Oaks Arborist.
Shaw notes that during storms, calls for service increase when trees get waterlogged and limbs hit the ground.
“Even if we have a micro fracture and a stem somewhere up top that we can’t see on a normal day-to-day basis, when it’s mixed with the right amount of wind and rain – that’s usually what causes the fracture to completely fail,” Shaw said.
The Sacramento Fire Department also sees a spike in calls during storms.
“We get the initial call for any type of downed power lines. Make sure to call 911 so we can at least secure the area, keep people away, and then we’ll be working with our partners at SMUD to make sure that they come out as well and secure that power,” said Justin Sylvia of the Sacramento Fire Department.
Sylvia says their main focus shifts to situation awareness once water levels near creeks start rising.
“Every time we see the waters rise, we typically see some type of rescue or assistance call that’s needed. That’s why we have what we call ‘ditch boats’ – they’re boats without a motor on them. We can float them out to wherever these folks are and we can rescue them or assist them off of these islands,” Sylvia said.
Captain Justin Sylvia says their calls for service at Bannon Island tend to be high on rainy days due to unhoused people living nearby.
REAL-TIME TRAFFIC MAP
Click here to see our interactive traffic map.
TRACK INTERACTIVE, DOPPLER RADAR
Click here to see our interactive radar.
DOWNLOAD OUR APP FOR THE LATEST
Here is where you can download our app.
Follow our KCRA weather team on social media
- Meteorologist Tamara Berg on Facebook and X.
- Meteorologist Dirk Verdoorn on Facebook
- Meteorologist/Climate Reporter Heather Waldman on Facebook and X.
- Meteorologist Kelly Curran on X.
Watch our forecasts on TV or online
Here’s where to find our latest video forecast. You can also watch a livestream of our latest newscast here. The banner on our website turns red when we’re live.
We’re also streaming on the Very Local app for Roku, Apple TV or Amazon Fire TV.