It looks like some serious rain and flooding is affecting Sonoma County and the Russian River area…Hope everyone is safe and dry. Are the vineyards affected at this time of year from so much rain and flooding? Or is it too early to have any real impact?
Along Martinelli Road, Doug Hartford surveyed the flooding near Hartford Family Winery, owned by his brother, Don, and sister-in-law Jenny. Some of the low-lying vineyards were underwater, but he wasn’t too concerned.
“When it’s not for a very long period of time, it doesn’t hurt the vines,” Hartford said, adding they’re hoping the water will recede quickly Thursday. “They’re dormant now. The damage comes if the vines are knocked over.”
I haven’t seen any reports of flooding in Healdsburg, or Dry Creek valley. It’s predominantly farther down river at Guernville, and in Sebastopol (first time I can remember seeing flooding there).
10.2 inches of rain in Windsor over the 2 days of rain. There is some flooding in Healdsburg but minor compared to Sebastopol, Forestville, Gurneville and other towns on or near the Russian River.
Other towns like Santa Rosa, Windsor etc had isolated street flooding. We had dinner last night in Glen Ellen and there was no standing water but not sure if there were problems during the height of the storm.
Sunny today and tomorrow, more storms Saturday and next Tuesday.
It’s another flood event. Happens often out here, the vineyards will be fine, most homes in the flood zone have been raised so the flood is just a reason for a block party.
The issues at the Barlow are really strange because that facility has only been inline for 5 or so years and the fact that the County allowed them to build in a flood plains perplexing. Directly across Morris St from The Barlow is a complex that was built decades ago and they bright the ground level up 15’ before pouring foundations. It didn’t flood. Maybe the rules are lax for industrial areas?
I was really surprised to see that, I didn’t know that area was prone to flooding. It’s not from the Russian River (at least not directly). There’s a wetlands area just to the east, so obviously it’s a low spot. Was it localized to the Barlow, or did flooding spread more widely into downtown Sebastopol?
I was in Healdsburg yesterday and while the water was high it was not high enough to affect DaVero. It covered some land on both sides of the river but DaVero is higher than you would think.
The Laguna de Santa Rosa runs through there and the Laguna always backs up when the River floods. Water generally spreads out there and East (The Chevron Station and Auto Shops on Hwy 12). Did the same thing in ‘95 and ‘86 and toa lesser degree in ‘97-‘98 and again in ‘06.
It causes all the East West passages to flood. Todd Rd, Llano Rd, Hwy 12, Occidental Rd, Guerneville Rd, River Rd. Then to the North the runoff affects Eastside, Westside, Trenton Healdsburg, Wohler, Slusser, Mark West Station/Starr.
In Sebastopol the water came up 12 to just past Community Market. Pax and Zazu had a foot or more.
There were a couple posts on FB that a couple tasting rooms in downtown Guerneville plan to be open tomorrow, inviting people back to Sonoma County to support local businesses.