Sandbags

Free sandbags for residents

The City of Menlo Park provides sand and empty bags to help residents prepare for heavy rainfall. Properly placed sandbags can help redirect water away from buildings, but they do not provide a watertight seal.

Prepare before the rain starts. Bring a shovel and be ready to fill your own bags. Gloves are recommended, and working with a partner can make filling and moving bags easier.

Where to get sandbags

Year-round locations

Temporary location during heavy rain

The following additional location opens when activated for heavy rain events. Confirm availability with Public Works before traveling to this site.

Questions about pickup locations or supplies? Contact Public Works at 650-330-6740.

Keep clean sandbags for future storms. See sandbag reuse and disposal below.

Watch: Filling and placing sandbags

This video demonstrates how to fill and place sandbags. Written instructions are also provided below.

How to fill sandbags

  1. Wear gloves and work with a partner when possible.
  2. Have one person hold the bag open while the other adds sand.
  3. Fill the bag about halfway. Leave enough empty material to fold the top underneath when placing it.
  4. For a typical stacked barrier, fold the open end rather than tying it. If using tied bags, leave enough slack for the bag to lie flat.
  5. Do not overfill. Bags need to mold together to reduce gaps.
  6. Wash your hands after handling sandbags.

Filled sandbags are heavy. Get help moving them and avoid lifting more than you can safely manage.

How to place sandbags

  1. Clear debris from the placement area.
  2. Fold each bag’s unfilled end underneath so the weight of the bag holds it closed.
  3. Place bags closely together and flatten them to reduce gaps.
  4. Overlap bags and stagger the joints between layers, similar to laying bricks.
  5. For a taller barrier, use a broad pyramid-shaped base rather than a narrow vertical stack.

Diagram showing sandbag placement with overlapping bags and staggered joints.

Pyramid placement

Use the diagram below to understand the wider base needed for pyramid placement. Compact each layer and keep joints staggered.

Diagram showing a sandbag barrier with a broad base and narrower upper layers.

For additional instructions, review the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sandbag guidance.

Sandbag reuse and disposal

Keep clean sandbags for future storms. Separate bags that have touched floodwater from unused or clean bags.

Clean sandbags that have not touched floodwater

  • Store bags in a dry, shaded place.
  • Cover them to protect against sunlight and deterioration.
  • If a clean bag begins to tear or leak, transfer the sand into a new bag.
  • At the end of the rainy season, unused sandbags may be returned to the sandbag station at Burgess Drive and Alma Street.

Sandbags that have touched floodwater

Floodwater may contain sewage, oil, animal waste or chemicals. Treat sandbags exposed to floodwater as potentially contaminated.

  • Wear gloves when handling them and wash your hands afterward.
  • Keep them separate from clean sandbags.
  • Contact Public Works at 650-330-6740 for disposal guidance.

Disposal reminders

  • Do not put sand or full sandbags in your regular trash.
  • Do not mix sandbags with yard debris.
  • Do not place used sand in waterways, playgrounds, sandboxes or other areas where people may come into direct contact with it.
  • Empty, uncontaminated bags belong in the garbage, not the recycling bin.

Stay informed and prepare for storms

For a life-threatening emergency, call 911.

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(including after hours)

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  • Every other Friday: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
  • (Closed every other Friday)

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