Updated on May 2, 2021 at 12:14 pm
NBC
Cal Fire will host a wildfire preparedness event this week in Orinda near the San Pablo Reservoir to urge communities to take a hands-on approach to fire safety.
The event in Orinda at 11:30 a.m. Monday is one of three that Cal Fire has planned around the state this week as part of Wildfire Preparedness Week. Download our mobile app for iOS or Android to get the latest breaking news and local stories.
The Orinda location, at 500 San Pablo Dam Road on East Bay Municipal Utility District property, has visible tree mortality that will underscore the need for wildfire safety, officials said.
East Bay water district urges residents to conserve water due to drought conditions
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This file photograph shows workers with East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) fill a trench with sand as they install new water pipe on April 22, 2021 in Walnut Creek, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
Customers of the East Bay Municipal Utility District are being asked to voluntarily conserve water in response to below-normal water runoff projections.
The district, whose board of directors declared a Stage 1 drought on Tuesday, provides drinking water to 1.4 million customers in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. It is not placing mandatory restrictions on its customers at this stage of drought, but is asking “voluntary conservation to save water supplies now in case next year is also dry.” Officials said they will aim for 10% reduction in total water consumption across the agency’s service area.
Updated on April 29, 2021 at 5:23 pm
NBC Universal, Inc.
Nearly the entire Bay Area is now facing extreme drought, according to data released Thursday by the U.S. Drought Monitor.
An updated Drought Monitor map shows six Bay Area counties – San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, Napa, Solano and Contra Costa – completely in the red or extreme drought category. Download our mobile app for iOS or Android to get the latest breaking news and local stories.
Most of San Mateo and Alameda counties are in the red. The northern tip of Santa Clara County is also in red, but the rest of the county is in the orange category, which signifies severe drought.
The past weekend has witnessed a rain system that came through Southern California and other parts of the state. It moved through, but did not leave much water on the ground.
Based on several experts, the majority of parts of the state of California are already experiencing drought conditions and it has a high possibility of continuing to worsen. On Sunday, it is very possible to miss the rain or only drizzle in some parts of the state. Places like Santa Rosa in the Bay Area were expecting half an inch of rain. Also, Assistant Santa Rosa Fire Marshall Paul Lowenthal shared that luckily it rained, but in reality, the state ended up with quite a bit less rain. Lowenthal also added that they are anticipating a potentially long dry summer.
The Bay Area has turned red on this map showing drought conditions
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The grass is brown and the hiking trails are dry and cracked in November 2019 on Sugarloaf Hill in San Mateo. After two consecutive dry winters, most of the Bay Area is in “extreme drought” heading into the dry season.Brian Feulner / Special to The Chronicle 2019Show MoreShow Less
Much of the Bay Area is now enduring “extreme” drought weather, according to recent meteorological data.
And with little chance of any substantial rainfall in the coming months, conditions are unlikely to improve anytime soon.
The U.S. Drought Monitor this week showed that the Bay Area had slipped into the “extreme drought” category following two consecutive dry winters.