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City of Lodi Manager Weekly Update - January 12, 2023

Government and Politics

January 13, 2023

From: City Of Lodi

Storm Update

We want you to stay safe and be prepared as we enter another round of storms in our region. Rain will return tomorrow to our area. There will be a round of light to moderate precipitation tomorrow with a round of moderate to heavy precipitation Saturday. Renewed localized street flooding, road closures, and damaged trees and downed power lines are anticipated.

What are we doing?

We have activated our Emergency Operations Center to help coordinate efforts between all departments in order to keep our community as safe as possible.

All available staff have been placed in “on call” status. Electric Utility crews increased efforts in preparation prior to these recent storms, enabling the City to recover quickly, having sustained significantly less damage than neighboring communities. Additional outside line crews have been brought in as needed, along with outside crane services to assist with tree removal and infrastructure rebuild efforts.

Public Works crews have been working around the clock to clear the roadways of fallen trees and debris, and repairing broken traffic lights. Since the New Year's Eve storm, crews made great progress in clearing storm basins back to pre-storm condition in preparation for this next round of storms.

Power Outages

If you lose power, please know that our crews will be working hard to provide you with updates as to when your power will be restored. Residents can check the website (https://bit.ly/3i7Xjys) to view the outage map and updates.

Important Reminders

Remember to have an emergency plan and keep safety in mind. Flooding, hazardous roadways, and downed power lines are anticipated with the forecasted storms.

Drivers should avoid flooded areas. If it is necessary to drive through flooded streets, please do so at minimal speed to avoid “wakes” generated by your vehicle. The vehicle wakes can cause water damage to garages and low-lying structures.

Drivers are urged to use extreme caution when traveling at night because flooded areas on roadways are difficult to see and pose a significant danger to motorists.

Who to Call:

The Public Works hotline is monitored 24/7 during significant weather events.

For flooding issues, clogged drains, or downed trees, contact (209) 368-5735 (option 2).

To report power outages, contact (209) 368-5735 (option 1)

For downed lines or other emergencies, dial 9-1-1

Parks Maintenance Cleaning Up Trees

A huge thank you to Parks Maintenance staff who have been inundated with storm cleanup and mitigation around the clock. Pictured here is Earl Henry, Doug Doward, Derrick Spagnola and Chris Kenyon cleaning up the redwood tree that came down at Hutchins Street Square. Thankfully the tree did not harm anybody or the building. Parks has sustained over 100 fallen large trees and all parks remain closed until we can assess impacts from this coming weekend’s forecasted weather. 

Just today 3 dump trucks and 2 truck loads of debris have been picked up and hauled off the west side of Hutchins Street Square. Three truck loads of branches were hauled off by Efrain Calderon. Colin Likiliki and Pete Melendez fixed and backfilled a waterline break at Blakely Park. Great work gentlemen!

Badge Pinning Ceremony

Congratulations to Michael Gold and Roger Varwig on their promotion to Battalion Chief. Both have worked their way up through the ranks in the Lodi Fire Department to achieve this promotion and we are excited for them as they step into this new role.

Congratulations to Brandon Ohler and Jared Sinclair, our newest firefighters. Welcome to the Lodi Fire Department!

National Law Enforcement Day

January 9 was National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. We would like to take a moment to thank our Lodi law enforcement officers for their service to protect our community. Our officers are proud to put on their badge at the beginning of every shift and serve our community selflessly, and we are thankful for them!

San Joaquin County Storm Report Damage

Severe storms continue to cause widespread damage, flooding, and power outages across the San Joaquin region. In order to accurately assess and report on the full extent of the storm damage and ensure the maximum amount of relief funds are made available to residents, the San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services (OES) is requesting County residents and businesses that have sustained property damage to fill out a short survey. Residents and businesses can find the survey by visiting sjready.org/events/winter-storm/recovery.html and clicking on the orange “Report Damage” button.

If a resident runs a business out of their residence, and both the home and the business sustained damages, then two separate reports can be made.

This survey is not a report for insurance and does not guarantee federal recovery assistance. Residents and businesses with insurance should still be reporting damages to their insurance provider.