On October 13, 2009, the largest October storm to hit Northern California since the infamous Columbus Day Storm of 1962, walloped the Bay Area with heavy winds and record rainfall. At the RFS, a storm total of 4.2 inches of rain was collected in the EH&S rain gauge. The BAAQMD meterological station, located on the west side of the RFS, measured winds averaging 24 miles per hour with a maximum gust of 42 miles per hour during the peak of the storm in the early afternoon prior to frontal passage (http://www.baaqmd.gov/about-air-quality/current-air-quality/air-monitoring-data/#/met?id=221&style=table&zone=1&date=2009-10-13&view=hourly).
The heavy rainfall brought a short term trash load along with the rainy season real first flush. EH&S staff collected video clips of trash flowing down Meeker Ditch leading into Meeker Slough. Meeker Ditch collects water from the majority of the Meeker Slough watershed (see Meeker Slough Watershed Map). See the following two movies of the Meeker Ditch flow taking during the peak of the storm at around 2:30 PM after almost 4 inches of rain had fallen in the watershed:
October 13, 2009 storm Meeker Ditch trash conveyor
October 13, 2009 storm Meeker Ditch trash gyre on Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu9AqAm0V90
Meeker Slough downstream of the Bay Trail bridge October 20, 2009 1:30 PM, 6.4 foot high tide:
