Cleanup continues weeks after severe storms ripped through

By Anne Ternus-Bellamy Enterprise staff writer

Debris removal continues throughout Davis in the wake of severe storms in late December and early January.

Those storms brought wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour and more than 10 inches of rain to the city, causing localized flooding and hundreds of calls for service, particularly for downed trees and limbs.

City crews and contractors are actively removing debris several weeks later and city staff estimates it may take another month or two until all debris is removed and longer still to deal with remaining tree stumps. Private property owners have also been busy clearing their own trees and debris, the city noted in a press release Friday.

“Our top priority is always community safety,” said Davis Mayor Will Arnold. “When the storms first hit, city staff immediately triaged issues and addressed public safety concerns as quickly as possible. We thank the community for its patience as crews continue to work on clearing the remaining debris and resuming normal operations.”

According to city staff, the public works department received more than 350 calls for service over 18 days between late December and mid January, with more than 200 of them related to fallen tree branches, hanging branches and split or fallen trees.

The city’s fire department was busy as well. During the height of the storms, calls to the Davis Fire Department increased by 2.5 times the usual number for that period, including 47 calls on New Year’s Eve when much of the city was plunged into darkness and 46 calls on Jan. 8.

The total number of 911 calls to the fire department between Dec. 26 and Jan. 13 was 399 — 100 more than the same time frame a year before, the city reported.

The fallout from the storms included the closure of parks, greenbelts and certain intersections and roadways. All have since reopened, as has Toad Hollow Dog Park.

“As a stormwater detention pond, Toad Hollow is frequently closed prior to, during and following heavy rain events,” said Stan Gryczko, director of Public Works Utilities and Operations. The site will open once the area has dried.