Merced officials work to prevent flooding as more rain heads towards Valley

MERCED, Calif. (KFSN) -- It's been years since Merced City officials have seen storm damage like they are seeing now.

Merced Public Works Director Ken Elwin says the department received more than 200 calls for service due to debris left behind by Tuesday night's storm.

Wind gusts over 50 mph toppled trees throughout the city.

The strong winds and downed trees damaged as many as 10 homes.

And with several more inches of rain on the way in the coming days, city crews are working overtime to try to minimize flooding.

"If we aren't clearing debris out of our catch basins it definitely floods the road and creates a hazard for the traffic," says storm drain supervisor Joe Padilla.

Childs Avenue between G Street to Martin Luther King Jr. way was closed for much of Wednesday due to flooding.

City officials recommend clearing the drain in front of your own home to avoid flooding in your neighborhood.

Merced Public Works encourages anyone in need of downed tree or debris removal to give them a call.

And if you are looking to mitigate flooding around your own home or business, there are several locations around the city where sandbags are still available.

You can find that information here.