County Storm Update 3: Advisory Evacuation Notice

The latest prediction from the California Nevada River Forecast Center indicates the Russian River has now reached minor flood stages, and it is anticipated that it will peak at 1 am tomorrow, February 15, at a crest of 36 feet at Guerneville. It is expected that the Russian River will recede below flood levels, at 32 feet, at 10 pm on Friday, February 15. 

In response, the County issued advisory evacuation notices to residents living on the Russian River floodway and its tributaries through the Wireless Emergency Alert system (WEA), SoCoAlert and other social media tools. People living in nontraditional housing conditions are advised to move to higher elevation if they are located in low-lying areas. 

The Emergency Operations Center remains open in a limited capacity to provide updated information and emergency services to all Sonoma County residents. 

“At this point, we advise residents in the impacted areas to consider their surroundings and evacuate if suggested” said David Rabbitt, Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Chairman. “Although we don't predict this incident will reach the same level of the 2017 January floods, we ask residents to evaluate their needs for the next 24 hours and be vigilant of the roads and streams around them.”

Road Closures

Drivers are encouraged to observe road closures and use detour routes. Road closure information for the unincorporated areas can be found at RoadConditions.sonoma-county.org. Please call Transportation and Public Works at (707) 565-5100 to report a road obstruction from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the Sheriff’s Office at (707) 565-2121 after hours.

Sandbag Pickup

Sandbags are likely available for purchase from your local hardware store. The County is providing sandbags for residents at the following locations, while supplies last:

• Monte Rio: the intersection of Main Street and Fir Road, by the tennis courts
• Forestville: Forestville Fire Station
• Guerneville: Park and Ride

Power Outages

PG&E is actively monitoring and repairing power outages. Information about outages may be found at pge.com/#outages.

Regional Parks

Numerous Regional Parks are closed to protect the safety of park goers. For the latest list of all impacted parks and trails, please visit parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov.

County Schools

The Sonoma County Office of Education is maintaining a list of all school closures on its website. For a complete list of school closures please visit scoe.org/storm-update.html

Water Quality Advisory

Sweetwater Springs Water District is advising people with compromised immune systems, infants, and some elderly that they may want to boil their drinking water, if the Guerneville System supplies their water. For more information, visit SweetWaterSprings.com.

SoCoAlert

Residents and businesses are encouraged to sign up for SoCoAlert to receive local emergency alerts and warnings. Emergency officials use the SoCoAlert Emergency Notification System to deliver incident-specific information or life-saving instructions to the precise geographic areas. To register, please go to SoCoAlert.com.

Additional Information

For additional information, visit SoCoEmergency.org or call 2-1-1. The County will post pertinent information on Facebook:  facebook.com/CountyofSonoma/ ; and Twitter: twitter.com/CountyofSonoma.

Flood Safety Tips:

• Monitor local media, sign up for alerts.
• Turn Around, Don’t Drown!
• Avoid walking or driving through flood waters.
• Just 6 inches of moving water can knock you down, 1 foot can sweep away a small car, and 2 feet of water can carry away most vehicles.
• If there is a chance of flash flooding, move immediately to higher ground.
• If floodwaters rise around your car but the water is not moving, abandon the car and move to higher ground. Remain in the car if the water is moving.
• Avoid camping or parking along streams, rivers, and creeks during heavy rainfall. These areas can flood quickly and with little warning.

Don’t touch or go near fallen or dangling power lines. Call 911.

Always assume that a fallen power line is live, and follow these guidelines:

• Avoid touching the downed line -- with your hand or an object, such as a stick, or broom.
• Avoid touching anything in contact with a fallen power line, such as a car, object or equipment, or person.
• Avoid driving over a fallen power line.
• Call 911 immediately to report a fallen power line.