First responders bracing for the wet weather in Central Valley

MADERA COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- A steady stream of storms hitting much of California this week has emergency responders urging people to brace for the wet weather.

"When they're traveling in these hazardous conditions, their safety is theirs. They have to take ownership of that. They need to be prepared to deal with any of these hazards that come forward," said Commander Jason Clark with the Madera County Sheriff's Office.

He said their number one priority is public safety both on the road and at home.

The sheriff's office is providing sandbags at select fire stations -- you'll have to bring your own shovel, but the bags and sand are free.

And experts say there will be the potential for flooding, especially after the first storm is expected to hit on Tuesday.

"Really that opens up a concern for storms later in the week because then you're going to have more rain on wet soil, the ground can't absorb that fast enough so the risk for nuisance flooding goes up, especially as we go into the weekend," said Andy Bollenbacher, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

NWS is monitoring the Washburn burn scar in Yosemite National Park.

They'll continue to keep an eye on the risk of mudslides for the next couple weeks, as more precipitation is expected.

Sandbags are also being given out to residents in Merced ahead of the storm.

You can find sandbags at the following locations in Merced:

Ballico Fire Station

Address: 11284 Ballico Ave.

Cressey Fire Station

Address: 9255 Cressey Way

Delhi Fire Station 1

Address: 6056 Acacia St.

Dos Palos Wye Fire Station

Address: 8047 W. Dairy Lane

El Nido Fire Station

Address: 10537 S. Hwy 59

Mckee Fire Station

Address: 3360 N. McKee Rd.

McSwain Fire Station

Address: 961 Gur Rd and Hwy 140

Merced County Public Works

Address: 2165 W. Wardrobe Ave.

Planada Fire Station

Address: 9234 E. Broadway

Santa Nella Fire Station

Address: 29190 Centinella Rd.

Snelling Fire Station

Address:15974 Lewis St. (209) 563-6661

Stevinson Fire Station

2738 Lander Ave