Dear Friends,           

With the extreme winter weather, please be assured the Sacramento County Department of Transportation (SACDOT) is prepared to provide a quick response to flooded roadways and broken traffic signals.

When winter weather hits, crews will respond twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week to clear roadways, remove fallen trees, repair streetlights, fix traffic signal malfunctions and keep traffic moving safely. Flooded roads are monitored and closed when necessary. When roads are flooded, they are posted to allow you to check routes for problem areas.

While crews are in the field every day, your assistance -- especially during bad weather conditions -- is important. Report roadway issues by calling 311 (or 875-4311) or reporting online at the 311 website. You can also report with a 311 app on your phone.

Fallen Trees and Branches: During severe weather conditions, crews may clear just the material in the roadway and move on to the next incident. Additional cleanup work is performed when crews have handled all incidents that require immediate attention. (Note trees or branches that fall on private roads or property are the responsibility of the property owner so please contact a private tree service for fallen trees or branches on your property)

Flooded Roads: Crews respond immediately to flooded roads and attempt to clear what is causing the problem right away. If the flooded road cannot be cleared, signage will be placed to close the road and maintenance crews will work to continue to clear the roadway.

Plugged Culverts (a tunnel carrying a stream or open drain under a road or railroad): If a culvert is plugged, SACDOT crews will flush the culvert until it’s clear.

Traffic Signal Out: Technicians are dispatched immediately to make repairs to traffic signals that are out or malfunctioning.

Downed Street Signs and Stop Signs: Street signs will be replaced as soon as possible. Downed stop signs are a priority and SACDOT's goal is to have them back up within two hours of notification.

Street Light Out: When reporting a problem, have the pole number or property address available. The pole number can be found on a sticker approximately 8 feet high, usually on the traffic side of the pole.

Plugged Storm Drains (a major cause for localized street flooding): Call 311, give the location and the Department of Water Resources will dispatch crews to remove leaves and/or other debris from the drain.

Sandbag Sites: If your property has a history of flooding, get sandbags in advance at Sacramento County's sandbag self-serve sites. Locations can be found online at the Department of Water Resources website.

If you encounter a downed power line, electrical sparking, or any other emergency that is a danger to yourself or others please immediately call 911. For any other power outages please report them to SMUD at 1-888-456-7683 or on SMUD’s website. For any PG&E outages contact 1-800-743-5000 or report them on PG&E’s website.

As always, if you have any further questions or concerns you may contact me at [email protected] or (916) 874-5471.

RICH DESMOND

Supervisor, Third District