The winter has already delivered a series of 2023 storms that caused extensive flooding in the Bay Area and elsewhere in California. To help prepare its residents for more potential flooding, most Bay Area cities are offering sandbags, both unfilled and prefilled, free of charge. Here is where you can pick up your free bags to help protect your home or business from flooding and we also have advice from the experts on how to use sandbags, plastic and plywood to block floodwaters.
Please note that many sites require proof of residency, and each site has its own requirements, bag limits and procedures.
Alameda County
Several cities throughout Alameda County provide free sandbag pickups for local residents.
Berkeley: Corporation Yard, 1326 Allston Way
Fremont: Three locations have unfilled bags, residents must take their own shovel.
Hayward: Hayward Animal Shelter, 16 Barnes Court
Livermore: Zone 7 Water Agency, 100 North Canyons Parkway
Newark: Newark Maintenance Yard, 37440 Filbert St.
Oakland: Municipal Service Center, 7101 Edgewater Drive
Pleasanton: Operations Services Department, 3333 Busch Road
San Leandro: Public Works Corporation Yard, 14200 Chapman Road (Residents must take their own shovel)
Alameda County also has four sites for residents in unincorporated areas to take up to four sandbags for free.
Dublin: 4825 Gleason Drive
Hayward: 951 Turner Court
Castro Valley: 20336 San Miguel Ave. and 19780 Cull Canyon Road
Contra Costa County
Concord: 1455 Gasoline Alley (Self-filled, residents must take a shovel)
Lafayette: Corner of Mt Diablo Boulevard at Village Center Drive and Corner of Camino Diablo and Loveland Drive (accessable from public street)
Richmond: West County Detention Facility, 5555 Giant Highway
Walnut Creek has five sandbag sites, however, none provide prefilled bags and require residents to take their own shovels:
Lancaster Road near Orchard Lane
Heather Farm Park Community Center parking lot
Howe Homestead Park parking lot
Santa Clara County
The Santa Clara Valley Water District provides five sandbag distribution sites offering filled bags, free of charge, 24 hours a day from November through April. The five sites are:
Palo Alto: 1925 Embarcadero Road, next to Palo Alto Air Terminal
San Jose: City Central Service Yard, 1661 Senter Road at Phelan Avenue
Morgan Hill: El Toro Fire Station, 18300 Old Monterey Road
20 other Santa Clara Valley Water District sites offer unfilled sandbags with sand for residents to shovel in themselves. The agency recommends people take their own shovels to those sites, as well as assistance for hauling the heavy bags. Some sites require proof of residency. These locations can be found at s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/valleywater.org.us-west-1/s3fs-public/2022-11-22_Sandbag%20Locations_Final.pdf
The City of Sunnyvale is also offering self-serve sandbags from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m, Monday through Friday at the City’s Corporation Yard at 221 Commercial St.
San Mateo County
San Mateo County lists cities offering free sandbags. Many have different limits, requirements and offerings, so it is recommended that residents check their city’s rules.
Belmont: Belmont Corp Yard, 110 Sem Lane
Colma: Town Corporation Yard, 601 F St.
Daly City: Water/Wastewater Treatment Plant, 153 Lake Merced Blvd.
East Palo Alto: 150 Tara St.
Foster City: Foster City Hall, 610 Foster City Blvd.
Half Moon Bay: City Hall, 501 Main St.
Hillsborough: Central County Fire Department Hillsbourgh Station 33, 33 Chateau Drive
Menlo Park: • Burgess Park parking lot at Alma Street and Burgess Drive• Menlo Park Fire Station No. 77 at 1467 Chilco St.
Millbrae: 511 Magnolia Ave.
Pacifica: Behind the Linda Mar Fire Station, 1100 Linda Mar Blvd.
Redwood City: City Corporation Yard, 1400 Broadway
San Bruno: Behind Fire Station 51, 555 El Camino Real
San Carlos: 1000 Branston Road
San Mateo: 1949 Pacific Blvd.
South San Francisco: Public works building, 550 North Canal Street
Woodside: Town Hall, 2955 Woodside Road
San Mateo County also has four locations in which residents of unincorporated San Mateo County can pick up no more than 15 pre-filled sandbags:
Half Moon Bay: Princeton Corporation Yard, 203 Cornell Avenue
Redwood City: Grant Corporation Yard, 752 Chestnut Road
La Honda: La Honda Corporation Yard, 59 Entrada Way
Pescadero: Pescadero High School, 350 Butano Cutoff Road
Information about how to place sandbags is available at valleywater.org/flooding-safety/flood-ready/sandbags
