Homeowners0:30 video
Before the next storm
San Francisco and Marin homeowners: before the next storm, check your gutters, drains, and downspouts.
In writing
Before the next storm, check three places: your gutters, your drains and your downspouts. Keep them clear so water moves away from the house.
San Francisco Public Works gives residents and businesses up to 10 free sandbags leading up to and during severe rainstorms, intended for properties prone to flooding. Pick them up Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Public Works operations yard, Marin St and Kansas St gate, and bring proof of address.
Marin County lists more than 30 free sandbag sites, including Fairfax, San Rafael, Novato, Mill Valley and Sausalito. Bring a shovel. Supplies may run out, and some sites limit how many each household can take.
For alerts, text your ZIP code to 888-777 for AlertSF. In Marin, sign up for AlertMarin at marin.sircom.org/subscribe. Hours and supplies can change, so check the county or city page before you go.
The transcript
Word for word, as narrated in the video.
San Francisco and Marin homeowners: before the next storm, check your gutters, drains, and downspouts. Keep them clear, so water moves away from the house.
Need sandbags? Before and during severe storms, San Francisco hands out up to 10 free, with proof of address. Marin lists more than 30 free sites. Bring a shovel.
Then sign up for AlertSF or AlertMarin. Save this before the forecast changes.
Sources
Where each date and figure comes from.
- Ready Marin, Know Your Risk & Protect Your Home (updated Oct. 13, 2026)
- Ready.gov, Floods (updated Aug. 27, 2026)
- SF.gov, Storms
- SF.gov, Sign up for AlertSF
- SF Public Works, Sandbags (checked Oct. 13, 2026)
- Marin County OEM, Emergency sandbags (updated July 8, 2026)
- Marin County OEM, Sign up for AlertMarin
Images in the video
Ocean Beach after a storm: Niwrat, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and color-graded for the video.
The gutter, storm drain, downspout and house are drawings, not to scale.
