Jen Yi was at her job Thursday afternoon, dry and warm, when she decided to wait in line in the rain for some filled sandbags.
“Someone told me they were giving them away,” said Yi, who works at Walter Burke Catering. “I live in Tesuque and my place is OK, but my friend’s place up the road is a mess.”
So she drove around the corner to two piles of sand the city has plopped down at the Santa Fe Fire Station 5 at Siler and Agua Fria to pick up her limit of 20 sandbags.
This is the first time the city has provided the service, said spokeswoman Carla Lopez, because of the ongoing heavy rains that have caused some flooding around town.
“And there’s a lot more rain forecast,” said Lopez, adding that the remnants of Tropical Depression Edouard are expected to bring more showers through this evening. “It’s under Homeland Security that cities are required to do more emergency preparedness.”
Lopez cited the recent flooding problems on Lorenzo Road that sent mud and sand — and a car — rushing down the road toward the intersection with Cerro Gordo.
“Rather than showing up with dump trucks and cleaning it up after it’s done, we’re trying to be proactive,” she said.
To get sandbags, residents sign in first at the fire station or at City Hall’s constituent services office, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. They’ll get free bags to take to the two sand piles at Siler and Agua Fria where city workers are helping to fill the bags. Bags and sand are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The city started the project earlier this week, and emergency management coordinator Joyce Purley said it will run as long as people keep coming in for the bags and sand.
“There were at least two more shipments of sand today,” said Purley. “It could go into next week if they need it.”
While Purley urged those who can to fill their own bags, city project administrator Henry Romero said it’s been easier for the workers to put the sand into the bags for residents. The bags, when full, weigh about 30 pounds each.
Romero said his three workers had been at the sand piles since 1 p.m. Thursday and had filled about 200 bags by midafternoon.
“Not everyone wants 20 bags,” said city worker Mike Ortega. “A few people only came for five or 10 bags.”
That’s what Mara Statnekov needed. “I’m a Web site designer and I work at home,” said Statnekov, who lives on Arroyo Tenorio on the east side. “There’s a slight drainage problem out my back door, so I just need five or six.”
Fire department staffer Brittany Wedner came out to ask the staffers to fill 30 bags, to have on hand in case the department receives any flooding calls.
“A few days ago, when we had a lot of rain, we had a couple of flooding calls that required us to have sandbags,” said Ted Bolleter, spokesperson for the fire department. “We’re preparing just in case.”
