North Bay residents upbeat as they bear brunt of first wet storms
SANTA ROSA -- In the North Bay, the rain came down hard causing issues on the roads. The initial downpour led to several accidents and there were minor flooding concerns as the rain continued.
The storm didn't stop soccer players from hitting the pitch at Cardinal Newman High School in Santa Rosa. It also didn't stop dedicated parents from cheering on their daughters.
"We are dressed. We have our ski clothes on. We've got the Gorton's Fisherman (attire) right here -- basically in fishing rubber -- so we're ready! We're prepared for this."
CONTINUING COVERAGE: Latest forecasts, radar views and weather stories
Saunders said it was worse last season when Northern California was hit by one atmospheric river after another. While we could all wish for better weather Saunders has no complaints about the rain.
"We're happy to have it. We need it," she said. "It keeps us out of drought and fire. We farm too. A lot of the families do. So we need it. We welcome the rain."
The rain did bring the evening commute to a crawl throughout the Bay Area including on the Richmond San Rafael Bridge. There haven't been any major flooding issues and Fire Marshal Paul Lowenthal with the Santa Rosa Fire Department hopes it will stay that way.
"With this storm, although we are expecting anywhere from 3 1/2 to 5 inches over the duration of the entire storm, that's spread out over several days," he said. "If we were anticipating upwards of 5 to 6 inches in a 24-hour period or a two-day period, that's a lot of rain that will likely create a lot of issues."
The main concern with this rain is that the ground is already soaked and winds could knock down trees and power lines.
"These storms essentially start to take their toll in the sense that they start to lead to soil saturation," Lowenthal said.
For many of the residents in this area who have experienced fires, they would rather have too much rain than worry about fire danger. Saunders is ready for a full season of wet weather.
"There's going to be a lot more days. We're just getting started," she said.
In Santa Rosa the conditions in the burn scar areas are improving. In fact, Santa Rosa fire officials recently took down warnings of possible mudslides where the Glass Fire burned in 2020.