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flood

Where to find free sandbags in Sonoma County ahead of Thursday’s atmospheric river

in Community/Weather

Officials are anticipating an atmospheric river to bring flooding, road closures, downed trees and power outages to parts of Sonoma County, Thursday into Friday.

To prepare for potential rising water levels, free sandbags are available at several locations, according to the County of Sonoma’s emergency information page.

The city of Santa Rosa’s sandbag filling station is open for residents throughout the rainy season. They can find sand and bags at the City Municipal Services Center North at 55 Stony Point Road, across from Finley Park, open 24/7. More information can be found at srcity.org/2963/Rain-Ready.

The city of Petaluma has sand and bags available 24/7 at “one or all of the following locations,” including 840 Hopper Street; Prince Park, 2301 East Washington Street; and Leghorn Park, 690 Sonoma Mountain Parkway. More information can be found at cityofpetaluma.org/flood-alert-info.

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Sonoma County business owners preparing to reopen after days of power outages, flood concerns kept customers away

in Business

Some Sonoma County businesses are having to deal with impacts from the latest round of severe weather.

Several local restaurants, wineries and hotels had to close the past few days after the storm’s brunt was felt Monday. Businesses have been moving perishable foods to non-flood prone restaurants, raising furniture off the ground to prevent water damage and bringing in employees to help clear properties. Amid the closures, little to no revenue is coming in to help offset the added expense.

Here’s how some businesses in Sonoma County are being impacted by the storms:

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Forecaster: ‘Use Tuesday for preparation’ before atmospheric river hits North Bay

in Weather

North Bay residents should spend Tuesday getting ready for another anticipated round of heavy rain and strong winds set to roll through the region Wednesday that will likely cause rivers to inch toward their flood stages, and down even more trees, according to the National Weather Service.

This particular atmospheric river, the third to hit the Bay Area since Dec. 26, could drop as much as 8 inches of precipitation, over a 48-hour period, on some of Sonoma County’s wettest areas, according to meteorologist Ryan Walbrun, with the weather service’s office in Monterey.

The storm is expected to deposit about 2 to 4 inches of rainfall on the Sonoma County valleys, 4 to 6 inches on the northwest hills and 6 to 8 inches near Cazadero.

“Use Tuesday for preparation,” Walbrun said. “Put a plan in action ahead of time, just in case.”

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Flood watch issued for North Bay, rain to continue through New Year’s Eve

in Weather

Following a storm that soaked the soil, revived local creeks and left some low-lying roadways submerged, Sonoma County residents can anticipate another heavy round of rain starting Thursday and potential flooding leading into the weekend, according to officials.

The National Weather Service on Wednesday evening announced a flood watch for the North Bay area that will take effect Friday and last through Saturday.

Meteorologists expect the rain to begin falling on Thursday. By Friday, it will begin a gradual increase in intensity, with the heaviest rainfall expected on Saturday in the morning.

The city of Santa Rosa has set up a sandbag station that is available only to residents. It is located at the City Municipal Services Center, 55 Stony Point Road, which is open 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. Proof of residency is required.

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Thousands still without power in Sonoma County

in News

A torrent of rain, fueled by what meteorologists described as an “atmospheric river,” wreaked havoc starting Saturday night, worsening throughout the day before easing locally Sunday evening.

Here is the latest on the storm and its aftermath:

3:30 p.m.

River flows a day after the atmospheric river passed over Sonoma County are about as epic as you’d expect.

“It’s been a while,” U.S. Geological Survey field office Chief Andrew Watson said Monday when asked how long it had been since he’d seen this amount of water flowing in the North Bay. “Peaks at all our sites are substantially higher than last year.”

How high?

Watson was measuring volume on the Russian River in Healdsburg when a reporter reached him. As he noted, average flow at that spot for Oct. 25 over the past 82 years is 286 cubic feet per second. The river he had just measured was at 11,200. And at its crest, around midnight as Saturday became Sunday, was more than 18,000 feet per second.

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