AND THEIR PREPS GOING FORWARD. AFTER MONTHS OF CUTTING, CHIPPING AND SCOOPING THE WALK THROUGH LAND PARK IS A LOT EASIER THIS YEAR COMPARED TO LAST YEAR. WE HAD HUNDREDS OF PUBLIC TREES GO DOWN. DANIEL BOWERS IS THE DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOR THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO. I’VE BEEN IN THIS ROLE FOR SIX YEARS NOW. MY LARGEST CHALLENGE DEFINITELY LAST YEAR’S STORM. HE WON’T SOON FORGET THE STORM THAT STARTED ON NEW YEAR’S EVE. I THINK THE THE SUDDEN IMPACTFULNESS OF THE STORM, HOW QUICK IT HIT. HEAVY RAINS SOAKED THE REGION DURING THE DAY AND AFTER SUNSET. THE WIND PICKED UP. AND SURE ENOUGH, DURING THAT STORM WE WERE HIT WITH SOME PRETTY SEVERE WINDS. A WIND GUST OF 64MPH WAS REPORTED AT SACRAMENTO’S EXECUTIVE AIRPORT, JUST MILES FROM LAND PARK, WHERE MANY OLD TREES CAME DOWN. IF THERE WAS ONE IN PARTICULAR THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT SURPRISING TO ME TO SEE GO DOWN IN THE NUMBERS THAT THEY DID WAS THE VALLEY OAKS. THE CITY ESTIMATES ABOUT 1500 TREES CAME DOWN ACROSS SACRAMENTO. SOME OF THEM INTO HOMES AND CARS. A WEEK LATER, THUNDERSTORMS CAUSED MORE DAMAGE. WE HAD A LOT OF THE THE TALLER PINES GO DOWN THE TREES IN SOME. I’M SORRY, GOING DOWN INTO HOUSES IN SOME AREAS. LAST YEAR, BOWERS SAYS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE WAS THE OVERWHELMING NUMBER OF DAMAGE CALLS THAT CAME IN. IT WAS A DRAW OF RESOURCES FROM A LOT OF DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS. 3000 SERVICE REQUESTS CAME INTO THE URBAN FORESTRY TEAM OVER THREE WEEKS IN JANUARY. TYPICALLY, THAT’S HOW MANY THEY GET IN SIX MONTHS. LAW ENFORCEMENT HELPED TO FILL IN THE GAPS. IT WAS AN ALL HANDS ON DECK SITUATION THIS YEAR. THEY’RE A BIGGER PART OF THE CITY’S STORM PLANS. LARGE LESSON LEARNED IS JUST MAKING SURE WE HAVE ENOUGH FIELD STAFF THAT WE CAN DEPLOY OUT ACROSS THE CITY TO, YOU KNOW, MITIGATE ANY OF THOSE HAZARDS AS THEY EXIST. THEY’RE ALSO TRAINING NEW STAFF, INCREASING THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO CAN HELP. WE’RE LOOKING AT ALL OF OUR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE. WE’RE LOOKING AT OUR STREETS, OUR SURFACE AREAS, WHILE THE WEATHER REMAIN