Note: We’ve been on a break, and aren’t back up to full power yet, but this is important information which we wanted to help disseminate. We’ll be back from our break soon.
UPDATE 10 p.m. — Read the latest on road closures and evacuation warnings for Ukiah and Hopland here.
UPDATE 11:45 a.m. — The City of Ukiah made the following announcement earlier this morning concerning flooding in low-lying areas, including Oak Manor, which may continue through Wednesday morning:
ORIGINAL
MENDOCINO Co., 2/26/19 — Days of heavy rains have taken their toll on Mendocino County, causing rivers to flood, and close several roads, as well as landslides impacting a number of other roads around the area. The Russian, Navarro, and Garcia rivers reached flood levels on Monday evening, closing portions of State Route 175, 128, and 1 (details below); heavy rains are expected to continue through this evening or tomorrow morning and flood warnings are ongoing.
Beyond flooded highways, a number of county roads have been affected by mudslides and pooled water, and residents are advised to take caution while driving, and to not drive through what may appear to be a flooded area. Mendocino County Office of Emergency Services has provided sandbags at a number of fire stations around the county (see below). Current road closures are listed below and will be updated as new information comes in. Ongoing flooding of low-lying urban areas, streams, and rapid rise in water levels on larger rivers is predicted to continue through Wednesday. Residents are advised to prepare for flooding with sandbags or by clearing debris, as well as potential power outages, and to check on pets and friends and neighbors with special needs who may need assistance.
Information about current road conditions can be found on the CalTrans Quickmap road information page, as well as the California Highway Patrol current incident page. These agencies are also posting updates on social media as conditions change. Additional information regarding county roads may be available from the Mendocino County Department of Transportation on their website, or on the agency’s Facebook page. Stormy weather has also made road conditions hazardous, and a number of collisions have resulted in additional partial road closures or blocked lanes, so take caution and drive slowly while traveling. County staff, California Highway Patrol employees, and Caltrans workers are currently out working to repair damaged roads and re-open smaller county roads that may have been closed to slides or fallen trees.
Power outages may occur, you can report an outage to PG&E or check on current outages at 800-743-5000 or at this link. Currently, there are a number of customers without power in Elk, Boonville, Mendocino, and Fort Bragg. City of Ukiah utility customers who lose power should contact the power outage 24-hour hotline at 707-463-6288. If you encounter downed power lines, please do not touch them and report them to 9-1-1.
Information about specific storm warnings and weather forecasts for your location can be found at the National Weather Service in Eureka website. More current information is also being provided on the NWS Eureka Twitter feed. You can find information about river flooding levels through the NWS flood level gauges here.
Here’s a list of current road closures:
State Route 175: closed near Hopland due to flooding of the Russian River, east of Hwy 101, from mile marker 0 to mile marker .5; current water levels can be found at the NWS river gauge here. No current estimated time of re-opening.
State Route 128: closed from mile marker 0 to mile marker 11 due to flooding of the Navarro River; current warter levels can be found at the NWS river gauge here. No current estimated time of re-opening.
State Route 1: closed at the Garcia River. No current estimated time of re-opening.
Sandbags: available for free at Laytonville Fire, the side parking lot of the Willits Police Department on Marin Street, Brooktrails Fire, Fort Bragg Fire, Covelo Fire, Potter Valley Fire, Hopland Fire, and at Friedman’s Home Improvement at 1255 Airport Road in Ukiah.
Here’s the 72 hour rainfall totals around the area provided by NWS. Some areas have received five inches, with isolated reports of eight inches of rains in isolated locations: