UPDATE, 3/9/23 — On Wednesday evening, Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency to support storm response and relief efforts in Mendocino County and 20 other counties. This news comes hours after Mendocino County supervisors officially ratified our local emergency declaration.
“With more dangerous storms on the horizon, we’ll continue to mobilize every available resource to protect Californians,” Newsom said.
The county is also asking residents to self-report damage from the severe weather and snowstorms between Feb. 21 and the present, to assist in understanding the severity of the private property damage and request assistance from state and federal partners. The survey can be found here.
While the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors special meeting agenda was posted Monday afternoon, more than 24 hours ahead of the meeting per Ralph M. Brown Act regulations, an email with the agenda was sent Thursday morning, almost a day after it had already taken place. Per a summary of its provisions and requirements, the Brown Act states that “members of the press (including radio and television stations) and other members of the public can also request written notice of special meetings and if they have, that notice must be given at the same time notice is provided to members of the legislative body.”
Read more information about the toll the storms have taken in Mendocino County below.
MENDOCINO Co, CA, 3/8/23 — The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors convened for a special meeting Wednesday morning to ratify a local emergency extending from Feb. 21 until at least next week, freeing up mutual aid resources from the California Office of Emergency Services (OES) to aid the county in responding to heavy snowfall, downed trees, lost power, and anticipated flooding.
CEO Darcie Antle said her office has been requesting an update from Cal OES daily on when the state — or even the federal government — will confirm this latest emergency in Mendocino County. If it’s deemed to rise to the level of federal aid, this emergency could be attached to aid being rolled out from the storms in December and January. Or, it could be treated as a separate event.
In the meantime, the latest storms have taken a toll.
“We have all been pushed to the absolute maximum of our capabilities,” Sheriff Matt Kendall shared with the Board of Supervisors. His office and the Department of Transportation (DOT) have been on the front lines of the emergency, which also involved multiple search and rescue efforts over this past weekend.
Administrative Lieutenant Quincy Cromer, who also serves as Mendocino County’s search and rescue coordinator, detailed some of these rescues: after assisting Sonoma County with searching for an older man with dementia last Thursday, they were called back to rescue an older Mendocino County resident on Yellow Star Road off Spy Rock Road on Friday. The man had run out of necessary medications and received a voucher from Social Services to stay at a hotel in Willits.
Cromer detailed four other rescues from Mendocino County’s high-elevation zones. In the most recent, on Sunday, crews attempted to reach three people on Simmerly Road. They turned out to be all right, as neighbors had delivered goods, but MCSO’s SnoCat suffered a “catastrophic failure.” That equipment is undergoing repairs, but the UTV is currently inoperable, he said.
“Every step forward, we take two back,” said Cromer, before thanking the 50 volunteers who aid the department in search and rescue.
Supervisors also thanked these departments and the DOT for their thorough, ongoing response to these dramatic weather events.
“The road crews for our county have done a huge lift for us,” Antle said. “They’re not here because they’re out clearing the roads up in Spy Rock, Brooktrails, and Bell Springs.”
Supervisor Maureen Mulheren also pointed out that their work is likely not over. Though weather conditions improved Wednesday, warm rain forecasted going into the weekend will likely mean flooding.
“We do expect flooding in Hopland at 175, Friday night into Saturday morning,” Antle said. “Please be cautious when you’re out there. Drive slowly and be aware of our crews — whether it’s PG&E crews, the road crews, or search and rescue.”
The county is also asking residents to self-report damage resulting from the severe weather and snowstorms that occurred from Feb. 21 to the present, to assist in understanding the severity of the private property damage and request assistance from state and federal partners. The survey can be found here.
Read more about the upcoming forecast here.
Note: Kate Fishman covers the environment & natural resources for The Mendocino Voice in partnership with a Report For America. Her position is funded by the Community Foundation of Mendocino, Report for America, & our readers. You can support Fishman’s work with a tax-deductible donation here or by emailing [email protected]. Contact her at KFishman@mendovoice.com or at (707) 234-7735. The Voice maintains editorial control and independence.
Many folks who are not at home will not know how much damage has occured until they can get back home, which might be a quite a while.