Another day of relentless rain with forecasters saying we can expect another two inches today which will add to the runoff and likely cause some localized flooding. A Flood Watch is in effect until 4pm this afternoon but a River Flood Watch for the Russian River in Hopland is in place until Thursday afternoon. Today, though, it is the wind that is concerning forecasters with the likelihood of power outages looming as the wind hits trees that are loose in the soggy ground. We have a Wind Advisory until Noon with winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected.
We’ve been struggling with road closures on Highway 175 at the Russian River bridge and Highway 222 near Ukiah with the Russian hitting nearly 17 feet Monday afternoon. It is forecast to get back over its 15 foot flood stage again this afternoon. Flooding from the Garcia River has closed Highway 1 from Fisherman Drive through Point Arena south of Warren. It is expected to reopen this afternoon.
Meanwhile it’s a guarded sigh of relief for those who live along the lower Russian River in Sonoma County. A Sheriff’s Office spokesman tells the Press Democrat an area between Healdsburg and Jenner that has been under an evacuation warning to have bags packed since last week will likely not be ordered to go. He reportedly says with the lower Russian staying near its "minor" flood level, it’s so far not requiring evacuations.
The Mendocino County Office of Education says school closures for today include Pacific Community Charter School, Manchester Elementary, and Point Arena schools. Known closures for public, charter, and private schools in Mendocino County are updated at the Mendocino County Office of Education website: www.mcoe.us.
Ukiah Police have captured a Covelo man wanted in connection with a reported shooting in Yolo County last month. Yolo had sent out a Be On the Lookout for 20-year-old Quade Smith including a description of his car. UPD says their FLOCK camera system alerted them that the car was in Ukiah and they tracked it to a McDonald’s drive-thru. From there they followed Smith to a less crowded area and with the CHP they pulled him over. Smith, who was also wanted on a local warrant, was booked into the jail. He had two people with him who were released to family members.
Driving Under the Influence is said to be the main factor in a fatal crash in Lakeport Monday morning. CHP Clearake says around 11 am a Lakeport man was heading southbound on SR-29 near Argonaut when he crossed over into oncoming traffic. A car that swerved to avoid him hit another car head on and a fourth car hit that car head on as well. One person was killed with the CHP now identifying him as Gregory Zachreson of Clearlake. Four other people were hurt including two with major injuries. The CHP says 20-year-old Bradley Jones of Lakeport was arrested for DUI.
A massive geyser of water shot up from a broken fire hydrant in Willits Monday night after it was apparently sheared off by a van. It happened around 930pm on South Main Street in front of JD Redhouse and Company. Mendo Fever reports witnesses saying police were talking to the driver and reportedly conducted a sobriety test on him. It took utility crews about an hour to get the water to stop spewing.
With Governor Gavin Newsom declaring a state of emergency due the storms and major flooding, officials remind you that one of the features of the emergency package is official protection against price gouging. In an alert Monday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said it’s important that businesses not take advantage of the current demand for essential supplies by driving up prices for items like food, gas, medical supplies and building materials. Bonta says if items are suddenly more than 10% of what they were before the emergency it could be a case of price gouging. It also includes services like repair and cleanup as well as lodging, like hotels and Airbnb’s. Proven gougers face up to $10,000 in fines plus penalties and a year in jail.
