Cars were headlights-deep in floodwater in Santa Rosa on Thursday, leaving people stranded at a hotel, while a medical center had to be evacuated amidst historical volumes of rainfall.
We noted Thursday afternoon that atmospheric river rainfall in the North Bay drenched Santa Rosa with its second-rainiest day in 120 years on Wednesday. The heavy rains continued Thursday across Sonoma County, setting the table for a host of extreme weather problems.
Santa Rosa,CA had the second wettest day in a 24 hour period in the last 120 years. SRFD Station 1 got 6.16”, our SRFD Harville got 6.78” and SRFD Newgate in Fountaingrove got 5.94”. Monitor and track rainfall across the city from all weather stations at https://t.co/IZSWhjMTn3 pic.twitter.com/Cek1AtWRmI
— Santa Rosa Fire Department (@SantaRosaFire) November 21, 2024
KTVU reports 300 people were stranded by floods in Santa Rosa on Thursday, as flood waters were up to the headlights of cars in some parts of town. The bulk of the flood trouble was at a Sutter Health medical center and a Hampton Inn on Airway Drive. People at the hotel were able to just stay put and be stranded, but the flooding of the medical center parking lot was a far more alarming situation.
When authorities say: don't drive into streets that have water, it's bc of this.
— ANDRÉS BRENDER (@ANDRESBRENDERTV) November 21, 2024
You might think it's shallow water, but it's not.
Santa Rosa FD says driver is safe. Cleveland av pic.twitter.com/gEhway0vqc
Transport Care owner Michael Rockett said he dropped off one client at the Sutter Medical Center Thursday, then went to pick up another. When he returned an hour later, the entire parking lot was flooded.
"I spoke with the daughter of the client who's 80 years old,” Rockett told KTVU. “The daughter says she's trying to organize that the firemen get her out here, whether by boat. The lady's in a wheelchair.”
KTVU also notes that at a nearby El Pollo Loco on Cleveland Avenue, a BMW sank so deep into floodwater that the driver had to leave the vehicle by crawling across a ladder.
Santa Rosa, CA - @SantaRosaFire is here w/swift water rescue team, and says several hundred people are trapped at the Sutter clinic and Hampton Inn on Airway Drive, after a creek flooded the parking lot and only access road. Cars submerged. #ktvu #storm pic.twitter.com/bKMDrXmWLy
— Jana Katsuyama (@JanaKTVU) November 21, 2024
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports on the evacuation of the Sutter Medical Center, where high-clearance fire engines had to carry wheelchair-bound patients to paratransit vans waiting to take those patients to safety. “For the safety of patients and staff, we evacuated our care center due to extreme weather and flooding,” a Sutter spokesperson told that paper.
Heads up, heavy rain continues tonight into Friday morning in the North Bay, "the High Risk (at least 70%) area was expanded southward with this update to account for the heavy rains that have impacted much of Sonoma County." https://t.co/DCTdU5g94Zhttps://t.co/FrPSlS99wn#CAwx https://t.co/P5gszckje2 pic.twitter.com/0z8lJC4pam
— NWS Bay Area 🌉 (@NWSBayArea) November 22, 2024
The heavy rains continued through Thursday night and into Friday morning. The National Weather Service advises that Sonoma County, as well as Napa and Marin counties, will remain on flood watches until at least 4 am Saturday morning.
The Russian River, meanwhile, is expected to peak at minor flood stage on Saturday morning.
Related: Atmospheric River Likely to Bring Much Rain to North Bay, Two Inches to SF [SFist]
Image: @SantaRosaFire via Twitter
