SAN JOSE — In the South Bay, Saturday’s rainfall stayed relatively light but heavier rain was predicted for Sunday and local officials are keeping a close watch on the river levels through San Jose.
Like a lot of people in her San Jose neighborhood, Jennifer S. keeps a close eye on the water level marks on the Alma Street bridge over the Guadalupe River.
“Usually when we have a large storm it gets up to about fourteen,” she said. “Seventeen feet is when we have to move out.”
Jennifer had to evacuate her mother back in 1996. Since then it’s only gotten close. Still, she took pictures of how swollen the river got two weeks ago in the last big storm.
“If it doesn’t rain for days and days, then we’re OK,” she said. “If it rains a long time then the river rises too fast!”
That’s a concern of the county as well, said Santa Clara County Emergency Management PIO Kia Xiong.
“The storm has already brought in a lot of rain from that February 4 storm,” she said. “Soils are saturated.”