North Bay communities along Russian River prepare for weekend flooding
GUERNEVILLE -- The North Bay is bracing for another rough weekend as the rain is expected to hit the area hard. A huge concern, with the ground still soaked from rain earlier this week.
This year's storms have already flooded a neighborhood in Guerneville. It's a mix of mobile homes and cottages and residents have been stacking up the sand bags to try to keep the water away.
"Nobody said every time it rains hard this creek rises and you're in for a rude awakening," Charlene Haines said.
It's a feeling that's hard for Haines to describe as she waits for back-to-back atmospheric river storms to come through this weekend.
"It's discomfort, it's stress," she said. "I can't change anything but I have to prepare."
Preparation will be key. Haines has already lifted her garden onto concrete blocks to keep the plants from being ruined. Inside her storage unit it's the same thing -- trying to get all her belongings as high off the ground as she can.
"It can be painful to lose your memories and your personal belongings," Haines said.
This Sycamore Cottage community already experienced devastating flooding in January. Fife Creek overflowed, spilling water to the doorstep of the mobile homes and into the cottages. When it starts raining, Haines will be keeping a close eye on the area that backs up to the creek.
"This whole area fills up and it's shining out here," Haines said.
The Monte Rio Fire Department is preparing the best it can for any potential flooding and problems caused by downed trees.
"We got extra staff on for the weekend," Chief Steve Baxman said. "Chainsaws are sharp. The boat is ready. The jet skis are ready."
Haines is hoping the storm won't be as bad as this time around. She's still trying to recover from the last couple of storms and it's especially hard when there's little help coming from local or state agencies.
"We need another word to describe what happens to us," Haines said. "It is to a degree for some people disastrous. When you lose your car and the water comes up to your trailer and floods your whole thing and you don't have money to do anything. Isn't that disastrous?"
