North Bay residents prepare for heavy rainfall, as National Weather service shifts focus to south

ByLuz Pena KGO logo

Sunday, December 12, 2021

Bay Area residents prepare for heavy rainfall

The Bay Area prepares for heavy rainfall beginning Sunday and lasting through Tuesday.

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (KGO) -- The Bay Area prepares for heavy rainfall beginning Sunday and lasting through Tuesday.

"Right now the National Weather service shifted the focus of this system to our south which is a good sign. We are looking for beneficial rain which promotes regrowth especially in our burn scar areas," said Paul Lowenthal, Asst. Fire Marshal and Public Information Officer for the Santa Rosa Fire Department.

Santa Rosa resident Rebecca Ryan looks down Tachevah Drive and remembers when her street flooded during the last heavy rainfall.

"It looked like a little river coming down the street to our house," said Santa Rosa Resident, Rebecca Ryan.

In late October, 95 homes were asked to evacuate in the Tachevah Drive neighborhood.

Luz Pena: "Did you evacuate?"

Rebecca Ryan: "Yes, we did. We just had to go a few blocks down and then we were out of the water danger but we weren't even sure if we could get the car through the water it was so deep."

The North Bay will be impacted first with up to three inches of rain in the urban areas and up to seven inches in the mountains. Residents here are keeping a close eye on the Lornadell Creek.

The Lornadell creek runs directly behind Tom Sawyers backyard.

"What I'm concerned about is that if they don't keep the sediment and vegetation from growing in the channel 3,000 feet of it up stream then all that is going to wash down and collect under the bridge and block the bridge. Then we'll have flooding again," said Sawyer.

Cities across the Bay Area are providing sand bags ahead of the storm urging residents to prepare.

"If there are any breaks in the rain check to see how the systems are doing. Make sure that the water is falling where we want it to go," said Lowenthal.

VIDEO: Biggest storm in years brings flooding to Bay Area

Here's a look at how the atmospheric river impacted cities across the Bay Area.

Ryan says she's glad the creek has been cleared since the last rainfall.

"At this point I'm hoping that there isn't any more flooding. There are a lot of reeds on the other side of the creek where they haven't cleaned out but I feel like the people with their yards backing up to it might be concerned," said Ryan.

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