North Bay prepares for rain and possible flooding Saturday

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (KGO) -- In the North Bay, fire departments and utility crews are gearing up for Saturday's storm. They urge the public to be ready for possible flooding and power outages.

Wipers get ready, rain is returning this weekend. First responders in Sonoma County are ready for more possible flooding around the Russian River Valley. Some roads may be impassable, even dangerous to drive through.

"Even a couple of inches can disable your car and send it floating down who knows where, so be safe turn around," said Sonoma County Fire District Captain Corey Larson.

TIMELINE: Incoming storm to bring heavy rain to Bay Area, up to 2 feet of snow in Sierra

We were there when Fire Station 1 took delivery of a new jet ski for the department's swift water rescue team on the Russian River.

"Where a propelled boat can get stuck a personal water craft can get through those areas quickly and help us do searches - it will be outfitted to do rescues as well," Larson added.

On Wednesday, the Santa Rosa Fire Department posted on X, that strong winds brought a tree down into power lines on South Wright Road, knocking out power to about 300 homes.

"We see weather hitting hard on the North Coast this weekend, so we have activated three of our operational emergency centers," said PG&E spokesperson, Megan McFarland.

PG&E says it's ready to respond with extra crews and equipment, if the power goes out during the storm. The utility is asking customers to be prepared.

"Charge up your cellphones now, if you lose power you can always charge your cellphone in your car or have an extra battery pack, check flashlights and have batteries ready," McFarland added.

MORE: How to prep your home for rain storms and other emergencies

Beth Greene says Garrett Ace Hardware in Windsor is ready with all the things folks might need this weekend from sandbags to generators.

"We have plenty of tarps, we have batteries and lanterns as well in case we have problems when the storm comes in," said Greene.

The California Highway Patrol is asking drivers to use caution this weekend and take it slow on roads.

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