Tucson city officials will be distributing free sandbags on Friday so residents can prepare for monsoon.
Distribution runs on July 14th from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Tucson Rodeo Grounds.
Each vehicle will get up to 10 pre-filled sandbags. The city is asking people to enter the Tucson Rodeo Grounds from the southern gate on South Sixth Avenue.
Michael Graham with TDOT says the department began a pilot program last year and the city distributed about 30,000 sandbags. Because it was so successful, the sandbag distribution will become a regular part of the Operation Splash Program.
A microburst hit the Palo Verde neighborhood last July and the area got two inches of rain in 30 minutes. The neighborhood reached out to city leaders which prompted TDOT to distribute sandbags. They can be put near doors to prevent water from getting into the home.
Last summer the sandbags were distributed at Tucson Fire Department Station 7, and Graham says the Tucson Rodeo Grounds will give people much more space.
If you missed the distribution day Friday, Graham says there will likely be another one scheduled in the coming weeks.
