2 dead in storm-related incidents in Sonoma County within last 24 hours
Two people have been found dead in Sonoma County in less than 24 hours from the effects of the atmospheric river storm systems battering the Bay Area this week, authorities said Thursday.
The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post that the first incident was reported Wednesday at about 4:41 p.m. along the 7700 block of Franz Valley Road north of Santa Rosa and west of Calistoga.
Deputies found a man dead in a culvert and personnel from the Northern Sonoma County Fire District arrived to retrieve the body.
On Thursday morning, a second body was discovered along the 5800 block of Hall Road in unincorporated Santa Rosa just north of Sebastopol, the Sheriff's Office said. At about 7 a.m. Sonoma County Fire District personnel and the California National Guard assisted deputies in retrieving the body of a male victim.
The Fire District said the victim had been on a bicycle on nearby Sanford Road north of Occidental Road before his body was discovered on Hall Road.
The 83-year-old victim had been reported missing at around 9 p.m. Wednesday and was on a bicycle equipped with a GPS device, according to the Sonoma County Sheriff. A National Guard vehicle was brought in to help in the search for him early Thursday morning.
His body was located by the Fire District's swift water rescue swimmers, the district said. The two victims were identified by the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office Coroner on Friday.
This week's storm has caused widespread local flooding, especially in the North Bay, and on Thursday the region was getting another round of rain from the third atmospheric river storm in less than a week.
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An updated flood advisory for Marin and Sonoma counties was in effect from 10 a.m. Thursday through Friday afternoon.
Areas of most concern included Healdsburg, Guerneville, Mark West Creek near Mirabel Heights, and Green Valley Creek at Martinelli Road near Forestville.
This is a developing news update. More information to be added as available.