Weather

Russian River takes over Guerneville, residents clean up

By
Thursday, January 12, 2017
The extreme amount of rain hasn't been good for Guerneville as residents recover from the rampant flooding of the Russian River.
GUERNEVILLE, Calif. (KGO) -- The massive amount of rain has not been good news in Guerneville. The Russian River is receding as many areas begin to try out after spending days under water.

RELATED: Guerneville woman kayaks through flood in living room

Guido Riccardi may be the loneliest man in the Russian River Valley Thursday. Not a lick of business is showing up on his computer screen. He works as a starter at the Northwood Golf Course in Sonoma County. Since the Russian River flooded, this famous course has more than a few extra water hoes.

"We are calling this, Lake Weseco, West Sonoma County," said Scott Leizke, joking about what is not really a laughing matter.

The Russian River blew past flood stage Wednesday and hit nearly 40 feet, flooding neighborhoods, homes and residents like Anne Snyder, who never saw a flood like this in her first nine years in the area. "This was a good starter flood for us."

She scooped Russian River residue from her home and driveway into wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow. "It came in both sides of the house and through the garage," she said.

Eighteen inches worth of water infiltrated her home, according to the waterline. The Russian River, which usually flows placidly a few hundred feet away, still dabbled at her back doorstep.

Inside the monitoring room at the Sonoma County Water Agency, operations people told ABC7 News the worst has passed.

If the sky gives the ground a chance to recover, that bodes well, especially along Neely Road, where residents have lived like islanders for close to a week.

That's the price residents pay around here for living in what they still call paradise.

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