Sonoma County Storm Update 4: Damage Assessments to Begin

With the Atmospheric River no longer a threat to residents, Sonoma County closed its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at 12 p.m. today. Although the EOC is closing for this storm, Emergency Management staff will continue to work with partner agencies to monitor conditions. The evacuation advisory issued yesterday for low-lying areas along the Russian River remains in effect until 10:00 p.m. this evening.

Debris Removal

Sonoma County Transportation and Public Works Department will provide disposal sites for residents and businesses affected by Russian River flooding. Information regarding the debris removal program (disposal site locations, hours of operations, and items that will be accepted) will be made available next week.

Damage Assessments

Beginning on February 16, 2019, the Permit and Resource Management Department (Permit Sonoma) will be sending teams of building inspectors to assess potential flood damage for 706 parcels in the river flood zone that may have building damage from flood inundation. Permit Sonoma building inspectors will view properties from the street and will have cars displaying the County logo and their County identification.

Inspectors may tag damaged properties with colored placards that provide more details on the damage and any related instructions. As always, property owners are advised to obtain permits from Permit Sonoma before repairing or rebuilding flood-damaged structures. Permits can help with successful insurance claims. Property owners and residents with flood-damaged buildings should contact Permit Sonoma at 707-565-1900 for more information on repair and reconstruction permits, or come in to the Permit Center located at 2550 Ventura Avenue, Santa Rosa.

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.

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 Sonoma County Parks.

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.
• If a power line touches your car, stay inside your car. Call 911 and wait for emergency help.