Update: Sonoma County Sheriff issues evacuation warning along Russian River

SONOMA -- The Sonoma County Sheriff issued an evacuation warning for the area along the Russian River from Healdsburg to Jenner Wednesday night, according to authorities.

The sheriff's Twitter account posted the warning shortly after 5 p.m. According to the Sonoma County Sheriff, the current forecast predicts the river will crest at 33 feet on Thursday night, January 5, into the early hours on Friday, January 6. 

The river is predicted to recede below flood stage on Friday afternoon. However, the river is predicted to flood again at 40 feet the night of Sunday, January 8, into Monday, January 9. The sheriff noted that flooding predictions may change as the storm progresses.

For your safety, residents should prepare to leave the areas below the 40-foot flood level along the Russian River, taking essential items such as medicines with you. Those who live above the 40-foot level could have their access reduced or eliminated due to flood waters.

As the second major storm in as many weeks descends upon the region, North Bay residents are bracing for the possibility of heavy rains and localized flooding along the Russian River.

The zones being impacted by the warning were as follows:

Evacuation Zone: SON-1E2 - Jenner, the north side of Duncans Mills, and west Cazadero

● North of the Russian River ● South of Fort Ross Road ● East of Meyers Grade Road and the coastline ● West of Cazadero Highway

Evacuation Zone: SON-1F4 - Guerneville, Guernwood, and Northwood

● North and West of the Russian River ● South of Kohute Gulch and Old Cazadero Road ● East of Cazadero Highway

Evacuation Zone: SON-1F3 - Guerneville

● North of the Russian River ● South of Watson Road and Livereau Creek (the creek) ● East of Old Cazadero Road and Hubert Creek ● West of Armstrong Woods Road

Evacuation Zone: SON-1G1 - Rio Nido and Korbel

● North of the Russian River ● South of Sweetwater Springs Road ● East of Armstrong Woods Road ● West of McPeak Road

Evacuation Zone: SON-1G2 - Hacienda

● North and West of the Russian River ● South of Sweetwater Springs Road ● East of McPeak Road

Evacuation Zone: SON-2K1 - Unincorporated south Healdsburg

● North and East of Dry Creek (the creek) ● South of Westside Road ● West of Highway 101 and the Russian River

Evacuation Zone: SON-2K2 - Northern Russian River Valley

● North of Sweetwater Springs Road ● South and East of Westside Road ● West of the Russian River

Evacuation Zone: SON-2K3 - Unincorporated north Windsor

● North of Windsor River Road ● South and West of Highway 101 ● East of the Russian River ● West of the Windsor town limits

Evacuation Zone: SON-4A1 - Riverfront Regional Park

● North of River Road ● South of Windsor River Road ● East of the Russian River ● West of Eastside Road

Evacuation Zone: SON-4B1 - Forestville

● North of Highway 116 and Travis Road ● South of River Road ● East of Martinelli Road ● West of Malone Road

Evacuation Zone: SON-1J1 - Summer Home Park, north side of Pocket Canyon and Drake Road

● North and East of Highway 116 ● South of the Russian River ● West of Martinelli Road

Evacuation Zone: SON-1J2 - Bohemian Grove, Mays Canyon and Camp Meeker

● North of Morelli Lane ● South of the Russian River and Highway 116 ● East of Bohemian Highway ● West of Green Valley Road and Harrison Grade Road

Evacuation Zone: SON-1J3 - Monte Rio, Casini Campground and west of Bohemian Highway

● North of Willow Creek Road ● South of the Russian River ● East of Freezeout Creek (the creek) ● West of Bohemian Highway

Evacuation Zone: SON-1H1 - Goat Rock and Pomo Campground

● North of Wright Hill Road ● South of the Russian River and Willow Creek Road ● East of the coastline ● West of Pomo Campground

Evacuation Zone: SON-1H2 - Freezeout Road area

● North and East of Willow Creek Road ● South of the Russian River ● West of Freezeout Creek

Additional information is available online at socoemergency.org/

Forecasts for Wednesday and overnight into Thursday call for up to 5 inches of rain in the coastal hills and up to 4 inches in higher elevation inland areas.

Guerneville and Hopland can expect the Russian River to rise a few feet above flood level overnight on Thursday, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

"Once it gets going it'll be off to the races," said National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Garcia.

"And there's no rest for the weary, right?" Garcia said. "We'll get another system coming through over the weekend and it will put more water into the Russian River watershed, and it could be back into flood stage once we get into Sunday afternoon."

"Right now we've got a lot of trees down," said Mags, a Guerneville resident checking in on a business during the storm. "We're pretty chill, We're used to this. But this is a little extra heavy."

Those conditions are going to sound familiar to a lot of people across the region. In Guerneville, the town was plunged into darkness, with the exception of the places that were running on generator power. The real focus, however, is the river and what might be coming in the next couple days.

"Getting it out of the way," said River Theater Owner Jerry Knight, moving belongings onto a trailer in the rain. "We don't want it going down the river. It's worth a lot of money, just like the motorcycle. If you like it, get it saved."

Along the Russian River, this was a day to get ready, and lend a hand to others.

"It's all good, especially if they are your neighbors,"  Knight said. 

Knight knows what a flood can do here.

"We've had the water up to your knees here before," he added. 

So what does he think is going to happen in the coming days?

"I mean, we even got Bubbles up on the pool table," he said of his giant pink elephant. "That elephant used to belong to Mick Jagger. He had two of them made."

What he's saying is that he's not taking any chances, and he's not alone.

"Yeah, this morning, we got out here with the trail up about a good 18 inches," explained Ryan, helping out at a nearby restaurant. "It supposedly should be over where the rain should stop. Hopefully."

Parke Hafner, winemaker and partner at Hafner Vineyard east of Healdsburg, says he's weathered the storm so far but will be keeping a close eye on things throughout the night Wednesday.

"Currently we've only gotten maybe an inch of rain out of this storm, nothing seems very exciting yet," Hafner said.

He said the vineyard has trellises along Sausal Creek, which runs about a mile to the Russian River and has flooded in the past.

He has prepared the vineyard with waddles and a cover crop, has been checking culverts and drainage ditches and will likely be up once or twice during the night to make sure things are working smoothly.

"Our vineyard manager lives on the property, as do I, so we keep an eye on those sorts of issues," Hafner said. "We've done this so many times now, but we do know that the culvert has to remain clear, or the water will end up in the winery."

So far, he said he's just happy for the rain in the midst of this third year of drought. 

That's a sentiment shared by Brad Petersen, vineyard manager at Silver Oak Cellars, who said so far the rains have come through in perfect intervals -- enough to help replenish the groundwater table and reservoirs, but not so much that it has caused flooding or damaged crops. 

He said a handful of small- to medium-sized streams run through his properties and none are even close to spilling over their banks and the river is looking fine, as well, at least so far. 

"If we get real heavy rains, there will be some local flooding, but I'm not seeing anything that would indicate major road closures," Petersen said. 

"But again, it all depends on how many inches we get and how quickly it comes," he said.

Further downstream and near the coast, the famous Bohemian Grove reports that it survived last week's storm and has also ramped up its storm preparations.

"With the anticipated storm and atmospheric river heading toward Northern California today and tomorrow, the Bohemian Club and Grove staff are monitoring the Russian River on a minute-by-minute basis," said spokesman Sam Singer. 

"The Grove staff is prepared as best as anyone can be for the predicted onslaught of wind, rain, and rising waters in and around the Monte Rio community and the Grove," Singer said.

Mags said he hoped the water level falls short of the 40 feet forecast for Sunday.

"40 is when my road gets cut off," Mags said. "35, which is what they were saying earlier, that's the beaches and Neely Road, People there are moving out already."

So river communities will be watching and waiting for days with fingers crossed.

"More than fingers crossed," Knight laughed. "We got cross stitches on top of all the plastic with our stuff on there."

Wilson Walker contributed to this story.

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