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Oakland braces for latest ‘atmospheric river’

Past flooding of Oakland streets near the Coliseum
Chayna Girling
/
Flickr / Creative Commons
Past flooding of Oakland streets near the Coliseum

Forecasters with the National Weather Service have issued a flood watch for the entire Bay Area, which includes a 40 percent chance of flash flooding Thursday night into Friday morning.

Oakland residents can expect two-to-two-and-a-half inches of rain between Thursday morning and Friday night, weather service officials said. It will get windy Thursday morning, too.

National Weather Service meteorologist Dalton Behringer said, "It will be particularly windy. We could see gusts of 45 to 50 mph" in the city. He added that gusts of 55 mph might occur in the Oakland hills.

With the consistent rain recently, soils are saturated. That increases the chance that trees could fall, Behringer said.

Emergencies such as downed trees or limbs can be reported by calling 311 or (510) 615-5566. If it's challenging to get a hold of someone by calling 311, residents can call the Oakland Fire Department's non-emergency line at (510) 444-3322.

Other emergencies that can be reported to 311 include flooding, overflowing sewers and street signals that aren't working.

City officials are asking residents to adopt a drain in their neighborhood to help prevent flooding.

Sunni M. Khalid is a veteran of more than 40 years in journalism, having worked in print, radio, television, and web journalism.