The City of Davis announced today that debris removal actively continues throughout the City from recent severe storms. 

The severe weather events from Dec. 26 through the week of Jan. 16 produced wind gusts upwards of 60 mph and dropped more than 10 inches of rain, causing localized flooding and hundreds of associated calls for service. Parks, greenbelts and certain intersections and roadways were also closed due to safety and flooding, including Second Street where power lines had fallen. City crews worked day and night responding to hazards and emergency calls throughout the community. Staff from multiple departments worked many hours to respond during the storms. 

“Our top priority is always community safety,” said Davis Mayor Will Arnold. “When the storms first hit, city staff immediately triaged issues and addressed public safety concerns as quickly as possible. We thank the community for its patience as crews continue to work on clearing the remaining debris and resuming normal operations.” 

Here are some statistics from the severe storms: 

- The City shared information regarding storm impacts, outages or resources with over 45 social media posts, ten e-notifications, two Nixle alerts and multiple website updates.
- Public Works Utilities and Operations received over 350 calls for service over 18 days; a little over 200 calls were related to fallen tree branches, hanging branches and split or fallen trees.

- During the height of the storms, calls to the Davis Fire department increased by 2.5 times, particularly on Dec. 31, 2022 (47 calls) and Jan. 8, 2023 (46 calls).
- The total number of 911 calls to the Davis Fire Department from Dec. 26 - Jan. 13 was 399 calls, 100 more calls than the same time frame a year before.

“As a stormwater detention pond, Toad Hollow is frequently closed prior to, during and following heavy rain events,” said Director of Public Works Utilities and Operations Stan Gryczko. “Signage is posted at the site, shared through e-notification and posted on the City’s Parks webpage to inform the public that the site is closed and will be re-opened once the area has dried and is suitable for use.”

In the weeks since the storms, all parks, greenbelts and previously closed roads and intersections have reopened, including Toad Hollow Dog Park. 

City crews and contractors continue to work to remove debris from the storms. Staff estimate that it may take another one to two months until all the debris is removed and likely longer to address the remaining tree stumps. Private property owners have also been busy clearing their own trees and debris. 

The City recognizes that the number of trees and limbs that fell during the storm caused community concern. While the City’s urban forestry staff inspect trees for overall health and look for immediate hazards, tree health is dynamic, and there are factors that cannot be controlled, such as the damaging winds from the storms. The effects from the wind, especially wind gusts in excess of 60+ miles per hour, rain, saturation of the soils and other weather patterns (such as unusual wind direction) on trees were extremely irregular. The City’s arborists will continue to evaluate the overall health of trees throughout Davis, including evidence of disease, damage and unhealthy growth. 

Recology continues to perform seasonal yard material pile collection every other week and will pick up leaves and branches that are placed correctly on the street. The last week of winter collection will be the week of Feb. 20, with spring collection occurring during the first week of May. As a reminder, piles cannot be any larger than five feet in any direction or the Recology equipment will not be able to pick them up. Branches cannot be larger than eight inches in diameter so that they do not damage the grinding equipment at the compost facility. Piles must be placed immediately adjacent to the property they came from and not in the bike lane. 

If you have City tree debris remaining after the storm event and want to be sure that your concern is on the City staff response list, please contact the Urban Forestry Division at 530-757-5633 or [email protected]. Residents interested in the current state of dog parks are encouraged to sign up to receive open/closure notifications at: www.CityofDavis.org/City-Hall/ENotification or visit: www.CityofDavis.org/City-Hall/Parks-and-Community-Services. To report a large fallen branch or downed City tree, contact the Urban Forestry Division at 530-757-5633 or [email protected]. For more information on yard material pile collection, visit DavisRecycling.org or contact the City Public Works Utilities and Operations Department at [email protected] or 530-757-5686. 

Press contact: Barbara Archer, [email protected], 530-400-3418