Post-Rain Creek Debris Crisis Averted
After the heavy rains of 2007, San Francisquito Creek overflowed near the Centennial neighborhood, leaving behind a tangle of mud-caked branches, soggy drywall, and ruined furniture. The smell of wet rot hung thick in the air, and the creekbed debris threatened to clog storm drains ahead of more seasonal showers. Local property owners feared repeated flooding and fines from the city if the mess wasn’t cleared fast.
We rolled in with a 20-yard roll-off and a two-person crew before sunrise the next day. Using shovels, rakes, and a skid steer, we cleared over 30 cubic yards of waterlogged debris from the creekbanks and adjacent sidewalks. Within hours, the area was restored to code compliance, storm drains were unobstructed, and neighbors could finally open their windows again without catching a whiff of mildew.
They hauled away a month’s worth of soggy mess in one morning—my backyard finally stopped smelling like a swamp.
Marta Lin



