Hundreds of new potholes pop up around Fresno as powerful storms pass

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Recent storms throughout the Central Valley have caused a variety of damage and that includes a lot of potholes, which can wreak havoc on cars.

Just in the last week, there were more than 600 pothole calls in the City of Fresno. That's 10 times more than usual.

Street service crews have been busy fixing potholes around the city caused by the recent storms, while drivers have been trying to dodge them.

Torrential downpours and cracked asphalt have created major road craters.

With his shovel in hand, Marco Martinez took the problem into his own hands. While he's happy to see city crews working on the issue, he says there's more that can be done.

"It's just been ridiculous, everybody's complaining about how they can't even drive up and down the road," Martinez said. "My rims are all bent from the potholes here. I couldn't even hold enough air in my wheels to drive around town from it...and other people's suspension have just messed up, it's just bad, bad."

Daniel Garcia is an employee at Tire and Wheel Warehouse. He said they've seen an influx of pothole damage. "To be honest with you --we are busier during the rainy days than we are the dry days," he said.

There were many rims there that could not be salvaged.

According to AAA, pothole-related auto repair costs average $306, but some drivers can wind up paying more than $1,000 to fix the damage.

City of Fresno Public Works Director Scott Mozier said they've budgeted more than seven hundred thousand dollars toward their pothole program.

But filling them in the winter is a temporary fix -- permanent street repaving only happens when the weather is warmer.

"We encourage drivers to be safe and look out for potholes and then to report them as soon as possible to the city so we can get them repaired," Mozier said.

Right now there is no specific city program that funds vehicle repairs, but collision insurance usually covers pothole damage after you pay your deductible.

Officials remind you to contact the city online, through the 311 call center, and the FresGo app to report issues.