Menlo Park storm watch: Sunday PM report

There are, as always, many sides of a significant storm such as the one blowing through Menlo Park today. An upside is donning a pair of “happy” red rain boots to take the big-dog-who-must-be-walked out for a stroll.

The alternative is donning a pair of boots and standing in the mud. “[This is the] VFWIS (view from where I stand),” emailed Ladera resident [and InMenlo contributing photographer] Laura Hamilton. “Putting in a new sump pump and sucking the water that’s pooled at the back door. Ugh.”

InMenlo weather watcher Bill Russ issued his last report for today at 3:00 pm: “We will be on our way out shortly…Here is another .65″ to report. That is 1.2″ for the storm. This brings my season-to-date total to 12.65″.”

We’re guessing Bill will have more rainfall to report Monday morning, as while the wind seems to have lessened, the rain keeps coming in pounding waves.

Looking at the broader Peninsula, the San Mateo County Office of Emergency Services reported in mid-afternoon that:

• 13,000 San Mateo County residents currently without power.
• PG&E crews deployed to all major power outages, mainly in Half Moon Bay and North Bay.
• National Weather Service reports blustery conditions with wind gusts in some parts up to 50 mph and periods of heavy rain through Monday early morning.
• San Francisquito Creek currently showing no sign of flooding.

We’re particularly glad about the latter, as the Creek most recently overflowed in East Palo Alto in 2012 and more widely in 1998, including parts of Menlo Park and Palo Alto.

Top photo by Irene Searles; mud photo by Laura Hamilton