All community members are invited to attend the Community Flood Readiness Night on Morro Street at Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market on Nov. 2, 2023, from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

Attend this free, family friendly event to get prepared for floods in San Luis Obispo, enjoy interactive demonstrations, and receive fun giveaways. Attendees will also be able to check addresses for known hazard areas, like flood zones, and sign up for alerts to stay informed.

This event is organized by the San Luis Obispo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District (District), the City of San Luis Obispo (City) and Downtown SLO and will include booths hosted by:

• the County of SLO Public Works Department
• the County of SLO Office of Emergency Services
• the City of SLO Office of Sustainability and Natural Resources
• the City of SLO Public Works Department
• the City of SLO Fire Department
• the City of SLO Community Development Department
• American Red Cross
• Creeklands Conservation

The District and City work together in planning and managing the San Luis Obispo Creek watershed, known as “Flood Control Zone 9”, which extends from the top of the Cuesta Grade to Avila Beach. Planning and management activities include rainfall and creek level measurements, capital improvement project planning and design, limited creek maintenance and more. More information about Zone 9 can be found here: https://www.slocounty.ca.gov/Departments/Public-Works/Committees-Programs/Flood-Control-Zones/Zone-9-%e2%80%93-San-Luis-Obispo-Creek-Watershed.aspx

In 2023, San Luis Obispo experienced a 25-year storm event, which included two intense storms that pelted the area with the second largest rainfall amount in 152 years. The rain filled local reservoirs and creeks, providing the community with much-needed drinking water. Unfortunately, the significant amount of rain over such a short period of time also caused our creeks and streets to flood, causing millions of dollars in public and private property damage. Each of these storms was declared a federal emergency and required a significant amount of City resources for emergency response and recovery. Work is ongoing to return SLO to pre-storm conditions.

Community Flood Readiness Night coincides with the normally scheduled Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market. For the full list of scheduled vendors and entertainment for November 2, 2023, visit https://downtownslo.com/farmers-market.

Media Contacts
County of San Luis Obispo, Department of Public Works:
Brendan Clark, bclark@co.slo.ca.us, 805-788-2316

City of San Luis Obispo, Fire Department: 
James Blattler, jblattle@slocity.org, 805-440-7448