Are you ready for the storms? Here’s where you can get free sandbags in SoCal

Are you ready for the storms? Free sandbags are available at local fire stations in Southern California. FILE PHOTO

More SoCal storm clouds may be lurking on the horizon and residents are looking into another heavy rain pour this weekend but amidst the weather warnings, residents need not worry as local fire stations across the county are here to help.

On Thursday, Feb. 1, the first and the smaller of two anticipated storms had rolled through the Southland bringing in rain. As the morning downpour resulted in flooded streets of Los Angeles, the main storm is yet to come.

Forecasters predicted thunder and rain showers will continue until Friday. However, bad weather is expected to come back on Sunday.

In a heroic effort of local officers, fire departments across Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange, Ventura and San Bernardino are rallying to provide free sandbags. 

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Some of the residents — still shaken by flooding the past weeks, have piled up sandbags and cleaned storm drains in anticipation of the storms.

“We’re going to be filling 40 tons of sandbags at this recreation center,” said Scott Webber, a construction contractor helping with storm preparations in a San Diego County neighborhood — affected by the storm onslaught and flood on Jan. 22.

Where to claim free sandbags

These sandbags are all stocked up and ready to protect your homes. Here are the local fire stations that offer them:

Los Angeles County

• Arts District, Chinatown, Downtown (east) – Fire Station 4, 450 East Temple St., Los Angeles, CA 90012.
• Baldwin Hills, Crenshaw District – Fire Station 94, 4470 Coliseum St., Los Angeles, CA 90016.
• Bel Air, Beverly Glen (south) – Fire Station 71, 107 S. Beverly Glen Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90024.
• Beverly Crest, Coldwater Canyon – Fire Station 108, 12520 Mulholland Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90210.
• Beverly Glen (north), Benedict Canyon – Fire Station 99, 14145 Mulholland Dr. Los Angeles, CA 91423.
• Brentwood, Mandeville Canyon – Fire Station 19, 12229 West Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90049.
• Civic Center, Downtown (west) – Fire Station 3, 108 North Fremont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012.

Bags are only given in these fire stations. For the full list, you can use LAFD’s map to find your local fire stations.

Orange County

• Cypress – Fire Station 17, 4991 W Cerritos Ave., Cypress, CA 90630
• Garden Grove – Fire Station 82, 11805 Gilbert St., Garden Grove , CA 92841
• Garden Grove – Fire Station 83, 12132 Trask Ave., Garden Grove, CA 92843
• Garden Grove – Fire Station 84, 12191 Valley View St., Garden Grove, CA 92845
• Irvine – Fire Station 36, 301 E Yale Loop, Irvine CA 9260
• Laguna Niguel – Fire Station 49, 31461 St. of The Golden Lantern, Laguna Niguel , CA 92677
• Laguna Woods, Laguna Hills – Fire Station 22, 24001 Paseo de Valencia, Laguna Woods, CA 92637
• Modjeska Canyon – Fire Station 16, 28891 Modjeska Canyon Rd., Silverado, CA 92676
• Rancho Mission Viejo – Fire Station 56, 56 Sendero Way, Ladera Ranch, CA 92694

This list of fire stations offers both sand and bags — limited to residents only. You can check the full list here. To search for your local station, use the OFCA map.

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Riverside County

• Perris – Fire Station 101, 105 S F St., Perris, CA 92570.
• Lake Elsinore – Fire Station 61, 32637 Gruwell St., Wildomar, CA 92595.
• Lake Elsinore – Fire Station 11, 33020 Maiden Ln., Lake Elsinore, CA 92530.
• Banning, Beaumont – Fire Station 20, 1550 E. 6th St., Beaumont, CA
• Banning, Beaumont – Fire Station 22, 10055 Avenida MiraVilla, Cherry Valley, CA
• Banning, Beaumont – Fire Station 89, 172 No. Murray St., Banning, CA
• Norco, West Riverside – Fire Station 64, 25310 Campbell Ranch Rd., Temescal Valley, CA
• Norco, West Riverside – Fire Station 82, 17452 Lake Pointe Dr., Riverside, CA 92503

Sandbags in Riverside County fire stations are only available in limited quantities — you can head to the stations as soon as possible to secure both sands and bags. Check out the full list here. Also, here’s the Riverside County Fire Station’s website to find your local stations.

San Bernardino County

• Bloomington – Fire Station 76, 10174 Magnolia Bloomington, CA 92316
• Colton – Fire Station 211, 303 East “E” St., Colton, CA 92324
• Colton – Fire Station 214, 1151 Meadow Lane Colton, CA 92324
• County Fire – Fire Station 1, 2824 East W St., San Bernardino, CA 92408
• Devore – Fire Station 2, 1511 Devore Rd., Devore, CA 92407
• Grand Terrace – Fire Station 23, 22582 City Center Court Grand Terrace, CA 92324 
• Highland – Fire Station 541, 26974 Baseline Highland, CA 92346
• Highland – Fire Station 542, 29507 Baseline Highland, CA 92346

Only a few stations have available sandbags and some require residents to bring their own shovels. You can check the full list of fire stations here. 

Ventura County

• Summit – Fire Station 20, 12000 Santa Paula-Ojai Rd., Ojai, 93023
• Ojai – Fire Station 21, 1201 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai, 93023 
• Meiners Oak – Fire Station 22, 466 S. La Luna Ave., Ojai, 93023 
• Oak View – Fire Station 23, 15 Kunkle St., Oak View, 93022 
• Rincon – Fire Station 25, 5674 Pacific Coast Highway, Ventura, 93001
• West Santa Paula – Fire Station 26, 536 W. Main St., Santa Paula, 93060
• Fillmore – Fire Station 27, 133 C St., Fillmore, 93015 
• Piru – Fire Station 28, 513 N. Church St., P.O. Box 317, Piru, 93040 

Get ready to fill your own sandbags at these stations. You can check the full list here. 

How to properly use sandbags for flooding

It’s essential to know how to turn your sandbags into flood defenses. The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal EOS) provides safety tips on using sandbags.

• Gear up with gloves, goggles or safety glasses for protection.
• Don’t overfill those bags — keep if filled up to two-thirds only to keep them manageable and stackable.
• For maximum water resistance, stack them in interlocking patterns.
• Be cautious and keep an eye on the barricade of sandbags. If bags burst or the water level goes up, it’s time to move to higher grounds.

Remember, it’s crucial to use bags properly to avoid clogging drains or redirection of water to other areas. You should place them around the perimeters of your house to prevent water from flooding in.

With the storm season around SoCal, it’s best to stay vigilant, take safety measures and have your local authorities’ contact numbers ready in case there’s a need for evacuation.