BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Bakersfield residents worry about what happens when the rain really comes down — and why they say more drainage is needed before streets flood.
For some residents, emergency preparedness means worrying about flooding close to home.
"The drain at the end of our cul-de-sac down here on Mountain Gate gets kinda flooded awfully fast," Jacy Schill said.
Schill says heavy rain can quickly flood the street, raising concerns about how the city will handle more severe weather.
"We have seen the flooding here in a huge downpour," Schill said.
For Dee Slade, the African American Network of Kern County executive director, preparedness started with a question about how ready people are when disaster strikes.
"They were talking about evacuating southern parts of California and I think San Diego and I was wondering if those folks were prepared or running around trying to find papers?" Slade said.
Now, Slade has handed out hundreds of go-bags through the Buffalo Soldiers program for Bakersfield residents. She is helping residents prepare by filling plastic backpacks with essential supplies.
"We buy most our products from Dollar Tree," Slade said.
The bags include first-aid supplies, hygiene items and zipper bags to help protect important personal documents.
And while the go-bags help residents prepare for an emergency, Schill and Slade both say they also want to see steps to address flooding before it gets worse.
City official Joe Conroy says the city has studied drainage issues in downtown Bakersfield.
"We did a storm water study drainage study in 2020 for the downtown area," Conroy said.
Conroy says residents can also report problems to the city so crews can respond.
"You can have us come out. You can report it through the Bakersfield mobile app," Conroy said.
The city says El Niño may not hit Bakersfield hard, but the message to residents is clear: have an emergency plan before disaster strikes.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere:
