Rainy Season Calls for Sandbags Available in Colton
By Shelby Horton
Staff Writer
01/25/2017 at 11:34 AM
Staff Writer
01/25/2017 at 11:34 AM
COLTON>> California has been experiencing heavy rain for the past couple of week which put in effect flood warnings across different cities. Local governments want their citizens to take precautions in protecting their homes from flooding due to the intense rain that has been received, including the City of Colton.
This is why the city is issuing sandbags and sand to citizens at designated locations. Sandbags can be used to act as a barrier to divert moving water around, instead of the water seeping into building and homes. Sandbags do not guarantee a water-seal like affect but is usually satisfactory for keep homes and buildings dry.
Make sure to clear the area you are planning to place the sandbags by removing debris such as large sticks and rocks since these may cause gaps in the structure. Sandbags are encouraged to be built in either a pyramid or ring formation to have the most effective water blocking capability. Sandbags are not reusable, since over a period of time they will deteriorate. People are recommended to follow the guidelines outlined by their local environment protection department of how to dispose of their used sandbags. Since floodwater could be potentially contaminated with other chemicals and wastes, proper handling of used sandbags that may have had contact with those things is important for environment safety reasons.
Sandbags are being issues to residents in Colton and sandbags can be picked up from the Fire Department No. 211 located on 303 East “E” St, Colton or Fire Department No. 214 located at 1151 Meadow Lane, Colton.
However, if your property has already suffered from flooding sandbags may not help. It is recommend that a person should concentrate on protecting themselves, their personal belongings and finding other methods to seal entry points that water can get through such as silicone sealant.