Jan 26, 2008 12:26 am US/Pacific
Marin & Sonoma Flood Warnings: Over 400 Evacuated
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5 / KCBS / AP / BCN) ―
A powerful winter storm made its presence known in the Bay Area on Friday, unleashing heavy rain and strong wind. The storm downed trees, caused power outages, and triggered mudslides and flooding.
In San Anselmo, Fairfax and Corte Madera, flood sirens sounded on Friday evening to warn 400 residents living near San Anselmo Creek to move to higher ground as the creek reached flood stage.
Authorities also shut down a stretch of U.S. Highway 101 between Novato and Petaluma after the creek covered the road in as much as 2 feet of water.
In Petaluma, authorities issued an evacuation notice for residents of a mobile home park affected by storm-induced flooding.
Periods of heavy rainfall were expected to continue through Saturday for the Bay Area region, forecasters said.
The National Weather Service issued a Flood Warning and an urban and small stream flood advisory until early Saturday for Marin and Sonoma counties.
According to the weather service, radar data indicated that some parts of the Bay Area experienced heavy rainfall Friday with accumulation rates of up to an inch per hour.
The Ross Valley Fire Department had warned of "imminent" flooding along San Anselmo Creek due to "torrential rainfall" which elevated water levels.
Police went door-to-door around 6:30 p.m. in San Anselmo and Fairfax to advise hundreds of residents living near the creek to evacuate their homes.
"We sounded an alarm in both San Anselmo and Fairfax telling people to move to higher ground," said Todd Standfield, an engineer with RVFD.
As of 6:40 p.m., "the (San Anselmo creek) was about a foot below flooding at 11.14 feet," he said. "We're preparing for it to flood because obviously, the rain hasn't subsided."
A short time later, the San Anselmo Police Department said water had started to spill over from the creek onto roadways and into the city's downtown, where business owners had boarded up their businesses and stacked sandbags.
Water from the creek also covered Highway 101 at the Marin County and Sonoma County border. Drivers were being diverted at Atherton Avenue in Novato and Lakeville Road in Petaluma, Marin County Sheriff's Lt. Greg Pittman said.
An evacuation center for Ross Valley residents was set up at the Issabella Cook Center located at 1000 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. The Red Cross was available at that location to assist evacuees.
Residents of the Leisure Lake Mobile Home Park in Petaluma as well as homeowners along the 3700 block of Petaluma Boulevard North were told to evacuate because of "substantial standing water" along the roadway.
Petaluma Fire Department crews went door-to-door advising residents in the area of the evacuation notice. The department did not immediately know how many people had to leave their homes.
An evacuation center for those displaced by the flooding was opened at the Petaluma Community Center at 320 N. McDowell Blvd.
Stony Point Road was closed from the northern Petaluma city limits to Petaluma Boulevard due to high water. Lakeville Highway was also closed within the city limits.
Police said some motorists were stranded in the floodwaters at both locations.
In the Santa Cruz mountains, where the rain replaced snow that had fallen over the past few days, flooding was also a very real concern for many residents.
"My concern is flooding in some of the creeks because of all the downed trees from the last big storm we had," said Troy Strong, a veteran storm watcher from Scotts Valley. "There's some exposed areas for sliding, especially on 17. Drivers just have to remember to be careful."
A flood watch was in effect until Saturday afternoon for the southern coast
of the Bay Area from Santa Cruz south past Monterey, according to the NWS.
That watch included the areas around the Santa Cruz mountains, Monterey Bay, Salinas, Hollister, Carmel, Big Sur and Los Padres National Forest.
Meantime, coastal areas were expected to experience significant wind through the weekend.
The weather service issued a Wind Advisory until Saturday afternoon along the immediate coast and coastal hills from Sonoma County southward through Monterey County.
Along the San Mateo coast, there were reports of gale force winds of up to 50 mph on Friday morning.
The main rain band was expected to move northward during Saturday with rain decreasing in intensity around Monterey Bay but increasing in the S.F. Bay Area once again. Periods of heavy rain would still be possible through Saturday evening.
Final rain totals could top 3 inches at some coastal locations and up to 6 inches from the Santa Cruz Mountains southward to Big Sur by late Sunday night.
Storm Total (48 hours-tapering off late Sunday):North Bay: Up to 3.00"
East Bay: Up to 2.00"
South Bay: Up to 2.25"
Peninsula: 2.50 to 4.00"
Santa Cruz: 4.00 to 6.00"
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