To offer protection from forecasted rain and flooding, the City of Visalia will open its Transit Center lobby to serve as a Dry Center from Thursday, March 9th through Wednesday, March 15th.
Located at 425 E. Oak Ave. in downtown Visalia, the Dry Center at the Visalia Transit Center will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and provides ample seating, vending machines and restrooms.
“We are preparing for the weather expected this weekend and through part of next week,” said City of Visalia Transit Manager, Angelina DeRossett. “We know many of our neighbors need temporary protection from the elements, so we are pleased to open our doors at the Transit Center and serve as a safe place through the storm.”
While the Dry Center is open, the Transit Center will continue to operate normally. Those needing temporary shelter from the rain will utilize the lobby space, but bulk belongings must be left outside of the facility and only service animals are allowed inside the facility at all times.
All bus routes lead to the City of Visalia Transit Center. For specific route information, call the Green Line at 1-877-40-GOGREEN (1-877-404-6473) or visit VisaliaTransit.com.
For those needing overnight accommodations, the Visalia Warming Center has extended their availability and will offer an overnight Warming Center from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. through Saturday, March 18th.
The Visalia Warming Center is located at 701 E. Race Ave. (previously the Police Activities League (PAL) Center). For more information on the overnight Warming Center, contact the Center directly at 559-509-2140 or [email protected]. Updates are also available via their Facebook page.
In addition to the protection offered in the Dry and Warming Centers, the City of Visalia will also have a self-serve sand station available through Wednesday, March 15th at the Visalia Corporation Yard.
“We encourage Visalia residents to utilize the self-serve sand station to aid in deflecting water and help protect your structures, especially during flooding like we are expected to receive,” said City of Visalia Public Works Director, Nick Bartsch. “We advise members of the community to be prepared and safe through the storm by utilizing these City services.”
Visalia residents can utilize the 24-hour self-serve sand station on Cain Street, between Goshen and Main. Although residents must bring their own shovel, bags and sand will be provided free of charge to Visalia residents – limited to eight bags per household.
During business hours, residents may visit the Public Works Administration Office (located at 336 N. Ben Maddox Way) between the hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, to pick up bags. Over the weekend and after-hours, a limited number of bags will be available at the sand station to aid in deflecting water and helping protect structures during the storm.
For questions regarding the sand station, contact the City of Visalia Public Works Customer Service line at (559) 713-4428.