Glendora sits at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains, and most of its yearly rain falls in a few winter storms. When a storm stalls over the canyons, water and mud come down the washes and streets toward the lowest yards, garages and slab edges.
Storm runoff and mud flows in Glendora
The city has seen it before. In January 1969, storms sent mud and boulders down onto foothill streets such as Calabria Drive. In February 2014, a storm over burned slopes above north Glendora sent debris flows toward Rainbow Drive and Easley Canyon Road and led to evacuations. Big Dalton Wash and Little Dalton Wash carry storm water through town, and debris basins above the city catch much of the mud before it reaches homes.
How storm runoff cleanup works
- The crew shovels and squeegees out mud and silt before extraction
- Truck-mounted units extract the standing water
- Carpet, pad and drywall below the water mark come out
- The team cleans hard surfaces and applies an EPA-registered antimicrobial
- Air movers and LGR dehumidifiers run until the framing reads dry
Runoff that comes in from outside counts as Category 3 water, because it carries soil, debris and whatever it picked up on the way. That is why the flood cleanup crew removes porous materials instead of drying them in place.
Before the next storm
Clear yard drains and gutters, keep sandbags at door thresholds and know the way out if evacuation orders come for foothill streets. National Weather Service flood safety explains watches and warnings, and FEMA flood insurance covers the separate flood policies that a standard homeowners policy leaves out. The foothill storm water check gives a rough read on how exposed a lot is.