City of Tacoma urges residents to prepare for heavy rain, says free sandbag supplies available

TACOMA, Wash. -- The city of Tacoma urged residents to prepare for the first heavy rainfall of season by cleaning leaves away from storm drains and said free sandbag supplies will be handed out while they last.

The National Weather Service has issued a heavy rainfall outlook for Western Washington starting the evening of Monday, Oct. 16, and extending through the weekend, the city said in a news release. During a heavy rain event, the city of Tacoma’s stormwater system "could get overwhelmed and some city streets and low areas could flood."

The city’s Public Works Department is providing free sandbag supplies to the public at the Tacoma Asphalt Plant at 3210 Center St., Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. to shovel and load their own sandbags. This station is now open and is expected to remain open through March, the city said in a news release Monday.   For more information on the free sandbags, call (253) 591-5495.

"The city’s surface water crews work to keep Tacoma’s 22,000-plus storm drains functioning properly. However, residents can make a big difference in preventing street and property flooding due to clogged storm drains by picking up fallen leaves and keeping storm drains clear."

For more information, visit cityoftacoma.org/flood or call (253) 591-5585.