As the current atmospheric river continues dumping rain on the Bay Area, the bulk of the wetness has been hitting the North Bay, as was predicted.
That means there's a flood advisory in effect in Marin, as ABC 7 reports, with residents closely watching Novato Creek and San Anselmo Creek for signs of flooding — which have not yet come.
Only about 1/3 of an inch of rain fell in San Francisco in the last 24 hours, but one spot in Santa Rosa recorded nearly 8 inches.
Flooded bus routes have led to school closures today across Sonoma County.
The Russian River is expected to hit flood stage in Guerneville around 10 p.m. Wednesday, as CBS SF reports. During the last round of storms two weeks ago, the river already rose six feet above flood stage, though no major damage was reported — and Guerneville is used to flooding like that on the regular. The river last topped its banks in 2017.
Update: The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports that Sonoma County officials have "recommended" that residents in the low-lying communities of Guerneville, Rio Nido, and Monte Rio evacuate today as they anticipate the Russian River hitting 46 to 47 feet on Wednesday.
That could potentially mean more devastating flooding than occurred in the area on January 1, 1997, which caused significant property damage.
"A lot of these floods get to 34, 35 feet and we tell people to move to higher ground," says Sonoma County sheriff’s Sgt. Spencer Crum to the Press Democrat. "But we’re looking at 46, 47 feet. We’re talking about access to all of Guerneville being blocked by water." Crum added, "Unless you’re prepared to wait this out for a few days, we recommend people get out of Guerneville. Don’t just move to higher ground so we’re not having to rescue you."
A Flood Warning has been issued for the Russian River at Johnsons Beach near Guerneville from Tuesday evening until further notice. The river is forecast to rise above flood stage by late tomorrow evening.#cawx pic.twitter.com/1gwRtbCSuk
— NWS Bay Area (@NWSBayArea) February 26, 2019
Guerneville Streets Flooded As Russian River Overflows https://t.co/MItaaRfMoD
— Bay Area 24/7 News (@BayArea247News) February 17, 2019
A flood warning was also issued for the Napa River in St. Helena, and for Santa Rosa Creek. The current Areal Flood Warning is technically only in effect until 11 a.m. today.
Here’s a look at the roaring Santa Rosa creek this morning. Sonoma county residents have been warned flooding is a possibility during this storm. pic.twitter.com/DfLHQrrOdL
— Amy Hollyfield (@amyhollyfield) February 26, 2019
The National Weather Service and ready.gov have issued their standard warning: "Avoid walking or driving through flood waters. Just 6 inches of moving water can knock you down and 2 feet of water can sweep your vehicle away."
Both Marin and Sonoma counties have activated their emergency services centers as of this morning, preparing both for potential flooding and for storm-related damage, including potential mudslides.
A landslide triggered by the last round of storms in Sausalito destroyed one home and at least two vehicles.
