San Joaquin Valley Preparing For Massive Rainfall

SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY (CBS13) - Officials say this region is expected to get the brunt of rain and rising rivers over the weekend.

Which is why last minute storm preps are draining the inventory at Ace Hardware in Stockton as residents prepare for plugged up gutters and storm drains.

"Normally you don't sell that much in one day," Mark Ivary has owned the shop on Benjamin Holt for 37 years.

Ivary believes customers hear this storm warning.

"Way more than they have any other storm that I've seen in the last 10 years," he said

Even employees are stocking up.

"I bought a sump pump and I'm thinking about buying sandbags before I leave, just in case," said Jenifer Knudsen at Ace Hardware.

The owner said you must clean out your gutters and have a plan for flooding, but with 4 inches of rain expected in Stockton, preparing for power outages is really key to weathering this storm.

"It is an enormous amount of rain, we just aren't set up to handle it and the ground isn't set up to handle that much moisture, so when it does stuff overflows," he said.

Back up batteries are a must, a flashlight, and a plan for the week ahead.

"We haven't seen this in a long time so I think it's going to catch a lot of people unprepared," he said.

Flooding is one thing, but a broken levy he said can be disastrous.

"Hopefully things will hold up!"

The storm in '97 left many afloat in the Central Valley, but he said what hasn't been seen by many could be around the corner.

"They have 100 year flood plan and so who knows, are we at that hundred year?" Ivary said.

Officials say heed the warning, stock up on supplies and be prepared for major flooding.