Intermittent rain and strong winds pounded the state – and Stanislaus County – this past week, and forecasters promised there would be more to come, with the rain starting on Monday, Feb. 20 in the Riverbank area.

Lots of debris littered streets and yards last week, with roofs damaged, fences and trees knocked down as a result of the 50 mph-plus wind gusts. Weather reporters warned of similar storms and strong gusty winds as early as Sunday night into Monday morning.

Those coming home after the three-day Presidents’ Day holiday weekend might have had a difficult time finding the best time to travel. Those who had Monday off should have been considered lucky to avoid going to work while the front edge of the storm blew through the area that day.

Local trees suffered in the onslaught last Friday, with a large redwood tree tipping over in front of the auditorium at Cardozo Middle School on Santa Fe Street and another redwood losing half of its top branch in Jacob Myers Park, near the Burney Pavilion. Minor damage occurred at the school, and injuries weren’t reported at either location.

Elsewhere around town, fences and portions of fences continued to be toppled, both new and older. Limbs, leaves and other debris were blown down streets and across yards. Garbage cans put out were also at the mercy of the whirling winds.

As of press time, the Riverbank area hadn’t suffered the kinds of effects evident elsewhere in Stanislaus County. Residents, farmers and businesses near Dry Creek or the Tuolumne River, were warned about increased outflows from the Don Pedro Reservoir that were to start at midafternoon Monday.

On the west side, residents in low-lying areas near rivers in Patterson were told to evacuate in case of flooding.