Flood risk looms in Sacramento. Learn how to prepare at Oct. 27 fair

A sandbag competition, helicopters and fire trucks — what could be more fun for the family? The City of Sacramento is hosting a Flood Preparedness Funfair on Sat., Oct. 27 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and Miller Regional Park.

In addition to games and public safety vehicles, the free fair will feature food trucks, water rescue demonstrations and safety information booths.

All the fun is designed to help us prepare for the serious risk that Sacramento faces during extreme rain events. The capital region has a long history of flooding, sometimes with fatal consequences. And while our defenses have improved, significant portions of our region still lack the basic level of 100-year flood protection, meaning that levees could withstand a storm that has a one in 100 chance of occurring in any given year.

Thanks to the efforts of U.S. Rep. Doris Matsui, our region was recently awarded $1.8 billion by the federal government to raise Folsom Dam, strengthen levees and complete other flood improvement projects. This work is expected to deliver 300-year flood protection for Sacramento.