City of Fresno crews prepare storm drains ahead of incoming rain

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- It has been all hands on deck for the Public Works crews across the city of Fresno.

"We are in preparation mode for this event," said Scott Mozier the director of Public Works for the City of Fresno.

City workers are making sure everything is working properly ahead of the expected rain Sunday and Monday.

Thursday morning, crews had a vacuum and rodder truck cleaning out the pump station sump near Fresno and H Streets.

The system pumps the water from the Fresno Street undercrossing into the storm drain system to prevent flooding.

"We don't want to wait until the rain to find out about that, and so all of the pumps have been tested and some last-minute repairs have been made this week," Mozier said.

Along with testing and repairing pumps, city workers have been clearing gutters and drains to make sure water can flow into them properly.

With the cooler temperatures, leaves have started to fall and those can block the drains.

"The storm drain pipes only work if the gutters and inlets are clear," said Mozier.

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City officials said most of the preparation is done, but some things are out of their control.

Certain areas like Shaw and Polk may see localized flooding.

That happens when too much rain falls too quickly.

Officials said that's because the storm drain pipes called for in the master plan have not yet been built by flood control.

"If we do get a cloud burst that comes more quickly, residents can just expect to see some water standing in the street until that pipe system can carry that away," Mozier said.

City crews will be monitoring those areas that are more prone to flooding, but they're asking residents to also alert them to any issues.

If you see a downed tree, flooding or any other issues, you can call 311 or use the FresGO app to report the problem, there will be workers on standby to respond.