March 26, 2023 08:52:12 pm The information on this website updates every 15 minutes — for current conditions, periodically refresh or relaunch this website.
With any significant storm, please stay alert to conditions around you, follow local weather forecasts, news, and this website.
Flood WATCH: Areas of this map that appear YELLOW may experience flooding in the next 90 minutes.
Flood WARNING: Areas of this map that appear RED may experience imminent flooding.
If you feel unsafe, do not wait to be told to leave, evacuate while it is safe to do so. If it's unsafe to evacuate, shelter at your current location.
This map is based upon the best available data from gauges, models and past events. Please monitor local conditions and take appropriate action.
Sign up here to receive email or text alerts specific to San Francisquito Creek
Enter your mobile number to receive a text when flood conditions change
Enter your e-mail address to receive a message when flood conditions change
Please report a problem
PLEASE NOTE: Please be aware that responses to your report may be delivered to your junk mail folder. This page is only intended to receive concerns regarding San Francisquito Creek during large storm events. For routine items regarding this creek, or other concerns within the areas served by the agencies listed below at left, please contact those agencies. We appreciate your report, and we will only contact you if we need additional information. If the problem you are reporting represents an imminent threat to life or property, please call 9-1-1.
Background Data
Information presented on this website's Flood Map is based on data from stream gauges in the upper watershed west of Highway 280 and tide gauges in the Bay, as well as hydraulic models and experience with previous storm events. The public is invited to access the detailed information from these stream gauges and rainfall gauges by clicking on the link https://contrail.onerain.com/?status=300&c>contrail.onerain.com, and inputting the following into the appropriate fields:
username: viewer
password: SanFrancisquito
About this website
This interactive website provides real-time information from new creek flow and rainfall gauges west of Highway 280 to help emergency responders and the general public make informed and timely decisions during storm events. This website is configured for computers, Android and iOS smartphones, and tablets. For the best experience, please use the latest version of your browser (Chrome 44, Firefox 39, Internet Explorer 11, Safari 7.1).
This website is designed to provide approximately two hours notice before San Francisquito Creek reaches flood watch and flood warning stages at and near four flood-prone bridges: Highway 101, University Avenue, Pope-Chaucer Streets, and Middlefield Road.
Under normal conditions, these bridges are shown as green circles on a searchable Flood Map (see tab above) on this website’s homepage. During a major storm, if creek flow gauges far upstream indicate that the flow will reach 60?pacity at any bridge, the circle for that bridge on the map will change from green to yellow and the neighborhoods most at risk will also be shown in yellow. If the creek flow upstream indicates that flooding is expected to occur at any of the four bridges, that bridge and the corresponding neighborhoods will turn red on the map. Please do NOT call 9-1-1 unless there is an imminent threat to life or property.
To receive alerts by text or e-mail when creek conditions change anywhere to "flood watch" or "flood warning" or back to "all clear" at every location, please provide your mobile phone number and/or e-mail address at the Receive Alerts tab above. We will not share the information you provide with any other party.
Using the Report a Problem tab above, you can let us know of a non-life threatening flood-related problem by providing your contact information, the description and location of the problem, and uploading a picture of it from your phone, tablet or computer. What you send will be seen, but you may not receive a response.
The color-coded flood threat level is determined by a combination of factors, including current water in the creek at several locations, current and anticipated rainfall, and experience with previous major storms. The current creek flow and rainfall data for this website can be found on the Background Data tab above, and simultaneous data can be seen at the long-standing Palo Alto Creek Monitor Website, which is also included as a tab above.
We welcome your suggestions to improve this website. Send comments to jpa@sfcjpa.org.