Flooding in San Mateo

It was apparent at the City Council public meeting shortly after the flooding, that the city was negligent in lowering the Marina Lagoon water levels prior to or during the storm. The Marina Lagoon is the basin into which many of the neighborhood creeks flow. Testimony at that meeting was given by Marina Lagoon area residents describing how they tried multiple times to contact the City or the dock master to beg them to lower the lagoon to “dock maintenance” levels to prevent flooding.

The city should count its blessings that FEMA picked up the tab for much of the damage, thereby allowing residents to cancel or withdraw their claims against the city.

I eagerly await hearing how the city is going to prevent flooding during the next “100-year storm” and the third party report (which should be published in the Daily Journal) on how the city managed the NYE storm. 

Carolyn Healy

San Mateo