Crews Prepare For Wet Winter With Flash Flood Training

SACRAMENTO COUNTY (CBS13) — The rivers were calm on Thursday, but with a wet winter looming, crews readied for potential flash floods.

"The good news in California is that we don't have floods very often," said Brad Smith with the Department of Water Resources. "The bad news is we don't have floods very often, and that is a preparedness standpoint."

And so conservation corp members were trained on the latest techniques in flood response.

One new, but simple, technique is called the muscle wall. It's where a line of interlocking dividers are filled with the very water the wall is designed to keep away from homes and businesses.

"Stops the water flow, and it provides a barrier, so if anything pushes up against it, the sand will be able to hold it back," said Zachary Alvarado with the California Conservation Corps.

Water bubbling from the inside wall is known as a boil, because it looks like boiling water. While it's calm at the moment, it can lead to a levee break if it's not treated right away.

All of the methods used on Thursday are quick fixes, but they could mean the difference between keeping homes safe, or left under several feet of water.