GUERNEVILLE (CBS SF) – While torrential rains that have pounded the North Bay have subsided, the flooded Russian Rivers left parts of several communities in Sonoma County submerged under water Wednesday evening. Along the Russian River in Sonoma County, officials said the towns of Guerneville and Monte Rio were completely isolated, as all roads leading to the communities were flooded. At around 10 p.m., the river crested at 45.31 feet, 13 feet over flood stage of 32 feet. 3,600 people are under evacuation orders from two dozen communities along the river, stretching from Jenner to Wilson Grove. The most significant damage was in Guerneville, where water from the Russian River has flooded dozens of houses, turning roads into streams and making boats the only possible mode of transportation. “The current situation in Guerneville, we have deputies there helping people,” said Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick. “Evacuation time has passed. We cant evacuate any more [residents] because the water has risen and the roads are impassable.” “Looks like it’s going to let up for a couple days, then another system is coming,” said one Forestville resident of the weather. “Hopefully it won’t be that bad.” This had been a long day for the riverside community just outside of Guerneville. “This is one of the many sections of Trenton Road, this is a very low spot, and it’s one of the first places that floods,” explained Craig Cochrane, who, with his wave Jane, was paddling over the submerged portion of the community. “Many of the houses, due to the flooding, have been raised, sometimes two full stories to be above the largest floods.” At around 12:30 p.m., a CHP helicopter landed on Main Street in Guerneville so officers could fly a woman having a serious medical issue out of the flooded area. “Yeah, I’ve never seen anything like this in the 30 years that I’ve been living around this area,” said Sonoma County resident Adalfo Membrila. “This is incredible, a lot of rain, a lot of water, a lot of flooding.” Across western Sonoma County, the water just kept rising Wednesday. And that left just about everyone here trying to make their way around it. “Came through this direction on the way to work in the road closed right after me,” said one local. And it wasn’t just low-lying areas. If you made your way into the hills, it was a different kind of road block. Signs of the storm aftermath could be seen with slides and fallen trees found in nearly every direction. KPIX found one of those slides on Mays Canyon Road, where neighbors were checking out the damage when all of a sudden it started to give way again. “Yeah I’ve never seen it slide,” one neighbor said. “I’ve been here since ’98, I’ve never seen this kind of thing like this on Mays Canyon Road.” Redwood Road in Napa County was closed Wednesday evening because of a major landslide, Napa County emergency officials said. As of 6:59 p.m. the road was closed in the 3500 block, about a half mile south of Mt. Veeder Road, because of the slide. County emergency officials said the road is closed indefinitely. Over in the town of Rio Nido along the Russian River, entire neighborhoods could be seen submerged under the murky floodwater. Near Sebastopol, flood waters have swamped other Sonoma County neighborhoods. Highway 12, the road that connects the town to Santa Rosa and the 101, was underwater and been closed all day. Crews were spending their day rescuing stubborn residents who refused to leave their homes. One man, who refused to evacuate until he was surrounded by water was suffering from hypothermia by the time firefighters reached him. “We’re getting ready to go into Flynn Street. There’s someone trapped in their house,” said Steve Thibodeau with the Sebastopol Fire Department. “They just don’t want to leave, and we can’t force them to leave. But once the water gets into their houses, they’re going to have to leave.” “They just think they can stay in their houses and water is kind of a slow death and it just keeps coming up,” he said. 15 people were pulled out by boat, others on the backs of their rescuers. The total number of evacuees kept rising as the river did. The Laguna de Santa Rosa wetland complex seemed to swallow Sebastopol whole. Cars and homes are underwater while streets were crowded with kayakers. Sebastopol resident Christina Mendieta and her two children had to be rescued after trying to stay in their home a little too long. “Never have I seen it like this. It’s scary,” said Mendieta. “I thought it would rise a bit and we’d be fine.” “We’ve done all we can do. We have sandbags and everything is up off the floor,” said Melissa Minton, the general manager at the Community Market, even as the business was taking on water. Sebastopol has been through floods like this in ’86 and ’95, but Minton has only been a resident for five years. The steady march of the rising river caught her off guard. “We don’t have power. We’re going to lose all our perishable items,” said Minton. “What’s insurance going to do? How long is it going to take? When can we open again for business?” The rapidly rising water forced the guests at the Farmhouse Inn in Forestville to evacuate Wednesday morning. Stranded guests told KPIX about their struggle to get to safety. Guests were forced to leave the inn through a window and above a giant, newly-formed pond. Nina Sheehan and her husband Patrick were in Sonoma County visiting one of their daughters. They had planned to head to San Francisco Wednesday anyway, but with danger from the rising Russian River increasing by the minute, they knew they had to leave sooner than planned. “These things are fast changing and you do need to pay attention,” said Nina Sheehan. “This is the third time we’ve been evacuated over the last three or four months in different parts of California, but that’s life,” added her husband Patrick.<doc-sep>(CNN) — Rain is diminishing Thursday around the Northern California town of Guerneville, which was turned into an island after the Russian River rose to more than 45 feet. The river crested at 45.31 feet Wednesday night, Sonoma County Emergency Operations Center spokesman Barry Dugan said. It had been rising steadily from 9 feet on Monday, leaving the community of 4,500 residents isolated. Follow CNN Extreme Weather On Thursday morning, flood warnings continued for much of Northern California, where rain was finally letting up. Most rivers and streams remained above flood stage. A flood warning means flooding is imminent or occurring; a watch indicates potential for flooding based on forecasts. The Russian River, at its highest level since the late 1990s, was falling but still expected to be above flood stage until Friday morning. After that it’s expected to fall back below flood stage at Guerneville, according to CNN Meteorologist Judson Jones. Generally dry weather was expected for the area late Thursday and into Friday afternoon, Jones said. But more rainfall was expected Friday night and Saturday, with another wet system possible by next Tuesday. Getting around town in kayaks and canoes In Guerneville, their homes surrounded by floodwaters, residents have been moving around in kayaks and canoes. “The roadways leading into the town along the river and across the river have been cut off by the rising floodwaters,” Sonoma County Emergency Manager Chris Godley said. Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP Jesse Hagan evacuates to higher ground Tuesday at an apartment complex in Guerneville. Dugan said roughly 2,000 homes and buildings have flooded to some degree. Fifty-nine people so far have been rescued, and there are no reported injuries. Eighty-nine roads remain closed in the county. Officials said they are in the planning stages to allow people to re-enter as early as Friday, Dugan said. Stunned residents marveled at the rising waters Wednesday, raising cell phones with one arm and snapping photos. “It is incredibly flooded. It is really nuts. You see just the rooftops popping over on the side of the road,” county employee Joe Pease told CNN affiliate KGO. He delivered sandbags to firefighters but had to stop because of deep water. Aerial video from the San Francisco TV station showed people paddling through Guerneville in canoes and kayaks. On some roads, water had reached the windows of cars, and on one street, it was up to the rooflines of a few buildings. Locals seek state emergency declaration The river was 13 feet above flood stage by Wednesday evening, and county officials issued an emergency declaration. They have asked Gov. Gavin Newsom for a state of emergency to help local authorities. “(The proclamation) is not just a sign that we have insufficient resources or we’re overwhelmed, but instead that we recognize the true potential worst-case scenario here,” Godley said, “and we want to make sure that we’re mobilized effectively and fully to deal with that threat.” Zak Wood, who lives in Forestville, about a mile from the river, said, “I have lived here in this area for the last 10 years, and this is the highest I have ever seen it.” Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Ari Herman, left, and Lea Herman eye a flooded section of a highway Wednesday in Guerneville. The record river height is 49.5 feet. Sonoma County residents were told Tuesday night to evacuate. Flooding affects other towns in the area Not every road in Guerneville was under water – a few were still passable but lined with cars and trucks from owners seeking higher ground. KGO reported that one hotel popular with wine enthusiasts had been evacuated. The town was hit hard by the flooding but was not the only one. The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office tweeted a photo of a road in Monte Rio deluged by water. Current conditions in Monte Rio. Please heed evacuation orders. pic.twitter.com/OMjdGXv4PM — Sonoma Sheriff (@sonomasheriff) February 27, 2019 “Please heed evacuation orders,” the tweet said. About 20 miles upriver, musician Garrett Pierce posted a video Wednesday of the Healdsburg Memorial Bridge. Water rushes under the truss bridge, close to the spans. The video shows some breaks in the clouds. With more rain forecast later, a flood warning was in effect for parts of the area, the weather service said. CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correct the rise in the river. CNN’s Cheri Mossburg and Blair Johnson contributed to this report.<doc-sep>Significant rain to continue to approx 10pm in North Bay before the rain starts to shift to South Bay. Flood Warning remains in effect for all of Sonoma County. Heavy rain will continue to cause flooding around Sonoma County. Power outages are likely. https://t.co/8bMaCe6frW pic.twitter.com/M6RlSyKNl5 — Santa Rosa Fire Department (@SantaRosaFire) February 27, 2019 Asti Bailhache Chianti Guerneville Guernewood Guernewood Park Hacienda Jenner Jimtown Korbel Lytton Northwood Northwood Lodge Rio Dell Rolands Sheridan Duncans Mills El Bonita Mirabel Heights Mirabel Park Monte Rio Montesano Summerhome Park Vacation Beach Wilson Grove Sebastopol Center for the Arts at 282 S High St, Sebastopol, CA 95472 starting at 3:00 PM on February 26, 2019 Sonoma County Fairgrounds Grace Pavilion at 1350 Bennett Valley Rd, Santa Rosa, CA 95404 starting at 5:00 PM on February 26, 2019 SONOMA COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- Evacuation orders are in effect for two dozen communities near the Russian River and the county has set up two evacuation centers to accept evacuees.Businesses like Fife Creek Antiques are clearing out. Their U-Haul was packed tight, the owner's friends showed up to get as many valuables as possible out. This storm could ruin Brian Peddinghaus.The store owner said, "I'm gonna be out of business for a couple of months probably. It's gonna be a big loss. "Officials expect the river to rise to 46 feet by Wednesday night.Glen Hurley evacuated his Guerneville home, but not before raising as much as he can off the ground-- including his brand new washer and dryer. "I've got a flat bottom boat and two kayaks down there that are supposed to be in there for storage but they're now floating. "For the first time, the county is evacuating its cold weather shelter and moving the homeless and anyone who needs extra help to the Santa Rosa Pavilion.Large buses were brought in to move as many as 100 hundred people.Sonoma County Sheriff's Sargent, Spencer Crum said, "It's going to be extremely dangerous out here tomorrow. These roads will be impassable, nobody will be getting in or out without a boat or some type of high water rescue vehicle. "A deputy came to this woman's door and got her up and out.Yvonne Moore left with just two bags. "They said we're here. The evacuation bus is right across the street. "The Russian River is expected to impact downtown Guerneville businesses as well.Accessing anything downtown will be impossible.There will be shelters located at:Officials say there will be a free shuttle running from the Guerneville Veterans War Memorial at 16320 Church St, Guerneville, CA 95446 starting at 3:00 PM on February 26, 2019.For more information go here or call 707-565-3856.Download: ABC7 Accuweather app for iPhone and Android Weather Radar: LiveDoppler7 radar images Weather Alerts: Current Watches and Warnings Share: Tag weather photos #ABC7Now<doc-sep>SONOMA COUNTY, CA — The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors has declared a local emergency caused by heavy rain and flooding that forced evacuations from the Russian River area Tuesday. Widespread flooding across many parts of Sonoma County has led to a multitude of road closures as public safety personnel rush to do as much as they can to keep area residents and business owners safe. "This is considered a major flood," said Chris Godley, Director of Emergency Management in the county's Fire and Emergency Services Department. The county declaration asked Gov. Gavin Newsom to proclaim a state of emergency that would waive regulations that could hinder response and recovery efforts and provide assistance and relief programs for damage caused by this year's storms and flooding. With the emergency declaration made, the county requested four helicopters for emergency medical transport from the California National Guard, and Cal Fire is providing two of them, Godley said. Godley and other Sonoma County officials said Wednesday that flooding conditions from the persistent storm this week in the county are improving in most locations but the Guerneville area will remain isolated and in flood stage for at least 24 hours after the Russian River crests at about 46 feet later in the day. The lower Russian River area is a series of islands of segregated communities, Godley said, with the goal to make each island self sufficient for the next 24 to 48 hours. The National Guard also is providing swift-water rescue personnel and trucks that navigate high water. Local fire departments and law enforcement agencies also have access to boats for rescue, Godley said. The Salvation Army started a meal service for residents affected by flooding. A team from The Salvation Army Santa Rosa Corps and additional personnel from the San Rafael Corps are stationed at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts. Although two shelters for some 3,600 Russian River-area evacuees opened Tuesday, only 55 people stayed at the Sebastopol Center of the Arts and 19 people at the Grace Pavilion at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa, Godley said. Local Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services management has already planned for the meal service to extend at least through Friday night, but staff will continue to assess if further assistance will be needed for the foreseeable future, the organization said. There is no estimate on the number of people who remain in the Guerneville area and it would be a significant challenge to reach them, according to county officials. Godley said there are several thousands of people living higher up in the hills who chose to stay behind. "Guerneville is an isolated community. Roads are cut off, water is starting to creep up Main Street and will be approaching the Safeway store in the next several hours," Godley said. "We are no longer asking people to evacuate. Remain in your residence and hunker down on the second story," he said. Highway 12 has been closed in Sebastopol from Llano Road to Petaluma Avenue since just after midnight because of flooding from the Laguna De Santa Rosa, Sebastopol police said. A Sebastopol resident described all the roadways leading out of town as either closed or flooded Wednesday. Weather-related outages have left 4,416 Sonoma County customers without power, utility spokeswoman Deanna Contreras said mid-day Wednesday. In addition to flooding, a landslide occurred Tuesday in the 9200 block of Bohemian Highway in Monte Rio. Godley urged residents countywide to be mindful of mudslides and debris flows along the river and in the burn scar areas from the 2017 wildfires. "Watch for cracks in roads, leaning trees and the sound of trees breaking," Godley said. In Petaluma, at least seven roadways were flooded and closed Wednesday morning, with the waters from the morning high tide slowing the pace of receding water, according to the Petaluma Fire and Police Departments. Residents of the Leisure Lake Village senior mobile home park at 300 Stony Point Road in northwest Petaluma were not able to exit the park, police said. Officers were at the park entrance in case of emergencies, and Denman Lane leading to the park and Stony Point Road was flooded. Several businesses near Petaluma Boulevard North and Stony Point Road, along Auto Center Drive and Industrial Drive also were closed. Police said they made two rescues of people trapped in a flooded business and another rescue in a car during the night. Detours were in effect on U.S. Highway 101, police said. The Petaluma Boulevard North exit on southbound Highway 101 was closed, and motorists were being detoured to McDowell Boulevard. On southbound Highway 101, the Old Redwood Highway exit was closed and traffic was detoured to McDowell Boulevard. Other closures included Stony Point Road between Pepper Road and Petaluma Boulevard North, and Auto Center Drive just south of Petaluma Boulevard North. By around 5 p.m. Wednesday, all road closures in the city had been lifted, Petaluma police said. "The last remaining vehicle that was caught in the flooded waters on Stony Point Road was towed away," police said. "Auto Center Drive was the last road to reopen. Additionally, the eastbound lanes of Washington Street near Howard Street are now open. Petaluma police noted that a building struck by a vehicle had been temporarily secured to prevent collapse. In Rohnert Park, police said the only road closure Wednesday morning was Rohnert Park Expressway at Rancho Verde. By 8:30 p.m., that road closure was lifted, according to an update from police. In Cotati, roads in the area of Portal, Aaron and Houser have reopened, police said. More information about road closures in Sonoma County is available at Socoemergency.org. Multiple Sonoma County school districts are closed Wednesday, according to the Sonoma County Office of Education.<doc-sep>
An estimated 2,000 homes and other buildings along the Russian River in Sonoma County have flooded after days of torrential rain sent water spilling over its banks and inundated nearby communities, authorities said late Wednesday. By Wednesday night, rescuers had saved about 40 people who were stuck in floodwaters and authorities had closed 89 roads as the river swelled to about 45 feet — 13 feet above flood stage, said Sonoma County spokeswoman Hannah Euser. No injuries were reported. The water was expected to start receding in the early morning hours Thursday. People living in about two dozen areas near the river were ordered to evacuate by Sonoma County officials Tuesday in preparation for possibly the region’s worst flood in over 20 years. Officials staffed extra deputies and dispatchers to help with evacuations and field emergency calls, while two boats were deployed to the lower Russian River to get people out. As of early Wednesday, a rain gauge northwest of the town of Guerneville had received nearly 20.5 inches of rain in 48 hours, according to the National Weather Service. The area is known for its steep coastal mountains and creeks lined by redwoods, which can rapidly funnel deluges from Pacific storms into the shallow Russian River. The river first exceeded flood stage — 32 feet — Tuesday evening. By early Wednesday, it had swollen to 40.5 feet, essentially turning Guerneville into an island, and continued to rise. Forecasters predicted it woule reach its highest level at 46.1 feet — more than 14 feet above flood stage — late Wednesday. People leaving their homes watched as rising water swallowed cars and flooded major roads into and out of the community. Officials said those who chose to stay in their homes could be stuck there for days. At midday Wednesday, residents could be seen using canoes to traverse parts of River Road. Catherine Bartolomei, co-owner of the Farmhouse Inn in Forestville, lamented the natural disasters that had befallen the region over the last couple of years, starting with devastating wildfires in Sonoma County in fall 2017. “Between the fires and everything else, it’s flipping killing us,” she said. Dane Pitcher, 70, watched from the third-story window of his bed and breakfast, the Raford Inn, in Healdsburg as rising water pooled to create a 100-acre lake in front of his property. The substantial water, which swallowed up five rows of grapevines on his property, didn’t faze Pitcher. He’s seen the Russian River flood several times over the years. He joked that he had all the necessities — wine and mostly breakfast foods, given his business — to sustain him and his wife for a few days. “We have waterfront property now,” he said lightheartedly. “We’re marooned for all intents and purposes, but that’s OK. “For us, we’re veterans so it’s fascinating to watch, to a degree,” he added. “We’re not being inconvenienced like many people who are convinced this can’t happen or just move here and aren’t prepared. Locals like us know what to expect.” The pounding rain had stopped in Sonoma County before the sun rose Wednesday after a low-pressure system shifted the atmospheric river-fueled storm out of the region. The storm, which lingered in the area for days, created the heaviest rainfall the region had received all winter, said Roger Gass, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in the Bay Area. “The atmospheric river was a hose of really deep moisture pointed right at Northern California that settled over Sonoma County,” he said. “It’s created a lot of problems.” Some areas north of the river got nearly 10 inches of rain over the course of two days. Venado, a community north of Guerneville, had received nearly 2 feet of rain in 48 hours by Tuesday. “A lot of the rainfall in that basin flows right into the Russian River,” Gass said. This will cause the waterway, which cuts through several Sonoma County communities, to rise over the next several hours before reaching its peak and then slowly receding on Thursday. The Russian River has seen numerous serious floods during wet years, but this inundation is poised to be the worst since 1995, when the river crested in Guerneville at about 48 feet, exactly 16 feet above flood stage. That flood caught a number of people in the community off-guard.