Home ReadySonoma

Sonoma County sandbags: where to get them

Where the county lists sandbag sites, what to bring, and how to use the bags.

As of October 13, 2026. The county's sandbag page lists sites "during weather events" and shows no update date, so call your local fire district or city before you drive. This page is general information. Rules and locations change.

The short answer

Sonoma County lists sandbag sites at fire stations and city yards (county sandbag page). Bags are not pre-filled. Each site has sand, bags and shovels, and the county asks you to bring your own shovel and take only what you need. Supplies run out.

Sandbags steer storm water. They do not seal it out. Place them early, but not months early (see below).

Where the county lists sites

These are the sites on the county page as we read it on October 13, 2026. The page does not say whether the sand is free.

  • Occidental: Occidental Fire Station, 3821 Bohemian Hwy.
  • Monte Rio: Monte Rio Fire Department, 9870 Main St.
  • Forestville: Sonoma County Fire District Station 7, 6554 Mirabel Road.
  • Geyserville: Geyserville Fire District Station 2, 6571 Highway 128. Fill bags are not available here.
  • Petaluma: Rancho Adobe Fire Station 3, 99 Liberty Road.
  • Santa Rosa (Bellevue): 238 Todd Road, in the Ghilotti parking lot across from Sonoma County Fire District Station 4.
  • Sonoma: Depot Park, and Felder Road and Arnold Drive. The page says not to drive past the caution tape.

City-sponsored sites:

  • Santa Rosa: City Municipal Services Center North, 55 Stony Point Road. Bring ID with a City of Santa Rosa address.
  • Windsor: Public Works Corporation Yard, 8400 Windsor Road.
  • Healdsburg: Abel De Luna Community Center, 1557 Healdsburg Ave.

What to bring

  • A shovel. The county says to bring one because donated shovels have gone missing.
  • Gloves and a back-friendly plan. Filled bags are heavy, so bring a helper if you can.
  • Something to carry them in, like a truck bed or a tub. This one is our suggestion.
  • ID with a city address if you use the Santa Rosa city site.

How to fill and place bags

Side view of two layers of sandbags on the ground with the folded tops facing uphill, where the water comes from, and a house wall behind them.
1. Fill half full. 2. Folded tops face uphill, toward the water. 3. Two layers at most. Not to scale. Based on San Mateo County guidance.
  1. Fill each bag one-half full. Sand is suggested if you can get it. Any local soil works.
  2. Fold the top down and rest the bag on its folded top.
  3. Point the folded top uphill, toward the water, so the flow does not open the bag.
  4. Finish each layer before you start the next.
  5. Stay at two layers unless a building backs the bags or you stack them in a pyramid.

Source: San Mateo County sandbag guidance (PDF). It is not a Sonoma County document, and we found no matching Sonoma County instructions. Sonoma County's page does not give filling steps.

What sandbags cannot do

  • They will not seal out water.
  • They are for low flows, up to about 2 feet.
  • Soil-filled burlap bags break down after several months of getting wet and dry. Bags put out too early may not work when you need them.
  • Do not use straw or hay bales instead. They may wash away.

Source: the same San Mateo County guidance. Higher flows need a more permanent structure, it says.

Who this applies to

Homes where runoff reaches a garage door, a crawl space vent, a basement or a door at ground level. Check the places where water headed toward your house last winter. Our winter storm checklist covers gutters, drains and trees too, and the El Niño guide explains why this winter may be wetter.

Do this week

  1. Walk your lot during the next rain and see where water goes.
  2. Clear gutters and downspouts so roof water is not part of the problem.
  3. Find your nearest site above and save the fire district number.
  4. Sign up for county alerts. See our resources list.

Sources