Flood Warning for Northern California
- From: alan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Alan)
- Date: Sat, 31 Dec 2005 13:31 +0000 (GMT Standard Time)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/12/31/BAGKAGFNUK1.DTL
Fierce storms bring fear of floods
Another howler to hit Bay Area for New Year's
A subtropical storm packing 50 mph winds slammed Northern California Friday,
leaving the Russian and Napa rivers on the verge of flooding.
The deluge intensified throughout the night as it moved slowly from the northern
part of the state southward, inundating everything in its path.
Most people stayed home, and the highways were relatively clear, thanks to the
coming New Year's holiday, but more trouble is expected. The rain-swollen rivers
and streams will run headlong into a 6.99-foot-high tide at 10:46 a.m. today, an
event that could lead to widespread flooding.
"A tide like that prevents the normal drainage from all the creeks and streams
that normally drain into the bay," said Mike Pechner, staff meteorologist for
KCBS radio and owner of Golden West Meteorology. "It's like a dam. You combine a
7-foot tide with 15- to 20-foot seas, and you can see why people are worried.
Luckily, it's not a commute morning."
The National Weather Service is warning that significant flooding is possible
around both rivers by this afternoon. In addition to the flood watch, a
high-surf advisory is in effect along the coast until Sunday morning. Emergency
workers in Sonoma County were handing out free sandbags in anticipation of
flooding.
But that might not be the worst of it, said Weather Service forecaster Diana
Henderson -- another howler is expected to wring in the new year.
"All told, by the end of Monday, expect 4 to 8 inches of rain in the north
counties and 2 to 4 inches in the Bay Area, with the majority of it in the Santa
Cruz Mountains," Henderson said.
By Friday evening, the Russian River was creeping toward the 32-foot flood
stage, covering low-lying vineyards and fields with a few feet of muddy water.
Johnson's Beach, a popular hangout near the Guerneville Bridge, was under water,
but Guerneville's 1,040 residents seemed nonchalant on the whole -- although the
proprietors of Fife's Guest Ranch & Roadhouse Restaurant on River Road canceled
their annual New Year's Eve party because of storm and flood warnings.
However, many shops, inns and restaurants carried on as usual, even as citizens
made a run to the local markets for essentials.
Steve Jackson, owner of King's Sporting Goods, said rain boots, ponchos,
batteries, lanterns and other emergency supplies were "flying out the door."
One customer bought a five-person inflatable vessel and life jackets.
Eric Lamburth stared out the window of his motor home, watching the water slowly
rise at the River Bend Family Camping Resort, where many residents live
year-round near a huge statue of a grinning Paul Bunyan.
Historically, the campground has been among the first places to be flooded.
"This is our first year here, so we're monitoring it 24/7," said Lamburth, who
moved his home 50 yards away from the river Wednesday.
Lt. Roger Rude, of the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department, said he did not
expect the kind of flooding that occurred Feb. 18, 1986, when the river crested
at 48.8 feet, forcing him to patrol downtown Guerneville in a boat.
He said the biggest problems were likely to come from overflowing streams and
tributaries and, perhaps, from boneheaded thrill seekers.
"We've had people go out in canoes and rubber rafts during storms," Rude said.
"That's dumb. The river right now is incredibly life-threatening. It is cold, it
is incredibly swift, and it is full of debris."
In Napa, an ongoing $300 million flood control project -- prompted by the last
major flood on Jan. 1, 1997 -- may be facing its first big test.
Four bridges have been torn down and replaced by spans that are higher and
longer. Levees have been broken so floodwater can spread into marshlands, and
the riverbank has been widened and terraced in and around Napa.
Downtown, Napa Creek was more of a threat than the Napa River. Flood control
work has not been completed -- while a dozen buildings have been removed from
the creek bed, the main work, installing culverts, isn't scheduled until 2009.
By 7 p.m., the rising water had nearly engulfed benches lining a creekside
walkway near the corner of First and Main streets.
But restaurants along Main Street remained open, and their customers seemed
unconcerned. Nearly every table was full at Cole's Chop House on Main Street,
where New York steaks go for $42, while the creek rushed noisily less than 20
yards away.
"The high tide isn't coming in until early in the morning," shrugged manager
John Burke. "We'll be closed by then."
The restaurant did take the precaution of lining sandbags along its outer walls.
Napa spokesman Peter Drier said the biggest danger of overflow was expected
between midnight and 3 o'clock this morning.
"It worries me a little bit, but we've been through this so many times I'm used
to it," said Terra Borges, owner of Glamorama, a hair salon across from the
creek.
Cheryl Richburg and her brother Chuck Simonds were busy Friday installing a
4-foot-high sheet of plywood with plastic and sandbags in the entrance to their
store, Napa Valley Traditions.
"I've done this five times maybe in 12 years," Simonds said.
Low visibility and high winds caused up to three-hour delays for arrivals and
departures at San Francisco International Airport, said Airport Duty Manager
Denis Richardson. He expected the problems at SFO to continue through at least
today.
Power outages affected about 6,500 customers in El Cerrito, Kensington and the
Berkeley hills, said PG&E spokesman David Eisenhauer, along with 100 in Napa and
75 in Mill Valley, as of 10 p.m.
The wet weather appears to be a continuation of last year's trend, but it hasn't
done the ski resorts any favors. Although 32 inches of snow had fallen by Friday
morning, much of it was washed away by rain.
Meanwhile, officials began releasing water from Oroville Dam to prevent flooding
in the Sacramento and Feather River basins and the delta levee system was being
monitored.
All in all, Rude said, "this is a great time to stay home, have a nice fire and
read a good book."
If you live in Northern California then please take good care of yourselves.
If you have me in a killfile and you live there, then tough; find out the hard
way.
Alan
http://www.veloceraptor.free-online.co.uk/enigma.html
http://veloceraptor.blogspot.com/
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