Another day of shoveling sand.

That’s how many desert residents spent their afternoon: getting prepared for what’s to come.

But, they aren’t the only ones on high alert.

The Emergency Management Department in Riverside County already sent out alerts early Sunday morning warning residents near flood prone areas to prepare or move to higher ground, especially in Thousand Palms.

“Be prepared for any type of incident,” Riverside County Emergency Management Department Public Information Officer Marilyn Castaneda said. “When we have heavy rains, that usually means that there’s going to be mud, some debris, and that possibly means that there’s going to be road closures… Just really taking precaution, make sure that you know your exit routes and you’re prepared. Maybe it means that you don’t drive for a day or two, if that’s an option.”

In Palm Springs, police are also on high alert and are reassuring the community that they’re ready in case of emergency.

“When we hear that we’ve got an incoming forecast and storm of this magnitude, we get on very high alert,” Palm Springs Police Department’s Public Information Officer Tamara Wadkins shared. “Use your headlights, turn off your cruise control, keep a firm grip on that steering wheel and just keep your eyes forward. Don’t be distracted and don’t look at the phone. Just your main concern is the road and the other drivers.”

As the storm continues to pummel the rest of the state, thousands are experiencing power outages.

But Southern California Edison is ready to turn their attention to the desert and make sure our valley stays safe.

“So ideally, before the power goes out, we always encourage customers to have an emergency plan just in case there could be an extended outage or another kind of emergency. Along with that, a preparedness kit,” Southern California Edison Spokesperson Gabriela Ornelas explained. “We actually have a team of in house meteorologists that track these conditions as they come in so we’re monitoring not only how they come in, but also how they change because we know that the weather can change very quickly.”

The county, PSPD and SCE all have alert systems you can sign up for to get the latest updates.

For Riverside County, click here.

For PSPD, click here.

For SCE, click here.

Local and County Officials Urging Residents to Prepare for Upcoming Storm