Sierra Madre declares debris-flow emergency after mid‑February storm; city outlines response, evacuation steps

Sierra Madre City Council on Feb. 13 adopted a declaration of local emergency tied to the mid‑February storm and mudflows that followed the Eaton Fire, after staff described pre‑storm protective measures, evacuation outreach and ongoing debris removal.

City Public Works Director Yanez told the council that crews and regional partners began protective preparations while the Eaton Fire was still active, cleared county debris basins and removed roughly 2,500 truckloads of material from the Sierra Madre Dam debris basin before the large rainfall. Staff said crews installed more than 500 feet of k‑rail in high‑risk locations, distributed thousands of sandbags to residents and prioritized clearing storm drains in burn zones to reduce blockage risk.

The council was given a run‑through of the county’s debris‑flow forecasting maps and of the city’s online resource page consolidating mudflow information, evacuation guidance, and links to Genesis, Nixle and county phase maps. Senior analyst James Carlson and management analyst Eric Lovick directed residents to the city’s…