Tuesday, January 10, 2017

California, Nevada Flooding Worsens; 2,000 Advised to Evacuate Northern California Town

Sean Breslin and Pam Wright
Published: January 10,2017
Hundreds more residents were advised to flee their homes as yet another round of heavy rainfall threatened to cause major problems in California.
The most recent evacuation advisory impacted some 2,000 residents in the city of Wilton, where the rising Cosumnes River was likely to spill over a levee and flood parts of the rural town of about 5,000, according to the Associated Press. Therefore, residents were told to leave their homes Tuesday during the daytime hours, as a nighttime evacuation would be much more difficult, the Sacramento Bee reported.
"The wildcard is a levee break," Wilton Fire Protection District spokesman Casey Robinson told the Sacramento Bee. "That can happen anytime."
(FORECAST: Atmospheric River Event Sets Up Over California)
Derek Moore ✔ @deadlinederek
Officials have red tagged 7 homes because of this major mudslide above the west of Guerneville.

Parts of Northern California were swamped by more than a foot of rain over a 72-hour period that ended early Monday and killed at least five people. The second round was underway Tuesday, promising even more rainfall that may lead to additional flooding.
Meanwhile, in Nevada, residents voluntarily evacuated at least 400 homes, impacting some 1,300 residents in a south Reno neighborhood as the Truckee River breached its banks. While no injuries were reported, many area roads were closed, the AP also reported.
The Truckee River was expected to peak about six feet above flood stage in neighboring Sparks, and several feet of water was likely to flood an industrial area where 25,000 people work.

California: More Residents Pushed From Their Homes

On the Sacramento River, the gates of the Sacramento Weir were opened early Tuesday to direct water through the Sacramento and Yolo bypasses, alleviating some of the flooding concerns, the Associated Press reported. The dam has been in operation for more than a century, the report added, but its gates were last opened in December 2005 – a sign of just how long the state's extreme drought has lasted.
Despite the additional measures to lower water levels, evacuations were still recommended for some 3,000 residents who live in low-lying areas of Guerneville and Monte Rio, according to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
In Sonoma County, California, a rising Russian River meant 550 homes and businesses are expected to flood before the waterway crests, according to SFGate.
South of the river, the town of Forestville reported flooding from the swollen river. In the Mirabel Park mobile home community, residents like Bruce Harper quickly moved their mobile homes to safer ground as the floodwaters began to rise, SFGate also reported.
"I was hoping that the worst of the storm was going to go down south, but it hit us head-on," Harper told SFGate.
The San Francisco Bay Area is facing a coastal flood advisory from Tuesday through Friday, with a forecast of up to 7-foot "king tides" that could pose a flooding risk for coastal roadways, Steve Anderson of the National Weather Service in Monterey told the AP.
(MORE: Storms Topple a California Icon)
The flooding rains, which have shut down roadways and created hazardous travel conditions, have killed at least five people in California over the past few days, and officials have identified all five victims.
Roads leading into Yosemite National Park were closed, authorities said, and rescues were underway in the Hidden Valley area Sunday. Yosemite's valley floor was reopened to visitors Tuesday morning.
All across the state, trees have fallen; experts told the AP that the prolonged drought may have weakened or killed the roots or trunks, and the wet soil and winds may have toppled the trees.
On Monday, Los Angeles County health officials advised swimmers and surfers to stay clear of the ocean for at least three days because of dangerous storm runoff. According to the AP, seawater bacteria levels increases significantly during and after rainstorms as contaminants in storm runoff enter the ocean via storm drains, creeks and rivers.
While common following heavy rains, the advisory remains in place through Thursday morning.

Nevada: State of Emergency

Numerous roads had major damage from rushing floodwaters, and crews had their hands full trying to get those roads reopened, Nevada Department of Transportation Public Information Officer Meg Ragonese said. According to a release from the DOT, the Pyramid Lake area had the most extensive damage to roads, with several washouts and one eroded off a 50-foot cliff.
Washoe County ✔ @washoecounty
Photos from @WashoeSheriff RAVEN of State Route 446 near Pyramid Lake.

The state DOT was keeping a full list of closures on its website.
The Nevada National Guard has deployed high-water vehicles to help evacuate residents in one town east of Reno as well as shuttle damage assessment teams to Sparks, the AP reported.
According to the Reno Gazette-Journal, weather experts are predicting the flood to be the worst in Northern Nevada since an event in 1997, which caused upwards of $600 million in damage.
Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval declared a state of emergency Saturday and urged all non-essential state government workers to stay home Monday.
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