The state says the California National Guard is ready to help with the response to any flooding and storm issues this week. General Robert Paoletti with the National Guard says they have equipment and personnel ready to go, including high water rescue vehicles, air resources, and heavy equipment to clear debris flows. Reserves were already scheduled to train this weekend, so they were active ahead of the storms.
You’ve got a little more time to get health insurance. Covered California’s deadline to sign up was extended from yesterday to February 9th due to record-breaking enrollment. Officials say they also made the move after callers wanting coverage had to wait longer than usual because the service center was offline thanks to a cybersecurity incident. It affected a third-party vendor that supports its phone lines.
The Russian River is close to flood stage. Officials in both Sonoma and Mendocino Counties are keeping an eye on the water levels. A flood watch is in effect for the entire North Bay until four a.m. Friday. In Hopland, the Russian River was expected to pass its 15-foot flood stage by 8:00 last night. By midnight, the river was expected to crest at 17-and-a-half-feet. That could mean significant flooding on Highway 175 near the Russian River Bridge and minor flooding on Highway 222 near Ukiah.
The phone lines connecting to the Sonoma County Child Support Services Agency are down. Officials say it’s a result of a larger cybersecurity breach affecting a state vendor. The county is instead telling people wanting to call the number to go to the state’s online Customer Connect portal. But, the Press Democrat reports that service was also down, as of last night.
PG&E is reporting about 300 outages in Mendocino County this morning. Their website says they hope to have power restored to everyone by 4pm. State Route 128 was closed last night in both directions from Route 1 to Navarro because of Navarro River Flooding. Caltrans said there’s no estimates on when it’ll reopen. They’re dealing with a mudslide blocking the westbound lane of State Route 128 near Ingram. Many of the area roads are still flooded this morning, and there are numerous trees down. The National Weather Services in Eureka said Ukiah got just under an inch and a half of rain yesterday. We remain under a wind advisory until later today. Caltrans reminds residents to take precautions and don’t try to drive through flood waters.
Atmospheric rivers like the one hitting California this week are forecast to happen more often in the next century. That’s according to a recent study published by Doctor Corinne Bowers, who recently earned her Ph.D. in civil engineering at Stanford University. The storms are also predicted to be more intense, last longer, and may happen in places that haven’t seen them before. The study says the chance of “super sequences,” which last longer than 60 days, could also increase. Because soil is already saturated, a storm can cause three times more damage if it happens during a sequence of storms than if it happens alone. Experts say there was evidence of this in California last winter.
The Clearlake City council meets tonight to decide if they’re going to stop taking virtual public comments at city meetings. The meeting, scheduled for 6 o clock, will be held in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall. You can watch the meeting live on YouTube or participate on Zoom. The city says they first started allowing virtual public comments in 2020 during the pandemic lockdown. They said they’re considering shutting the ability to comment down thanks to an increase in inappropriate and racist comments at public meetings. They had several comments come in during the January 18th meeting, and said some were antisemitic, racist, and had nothing do to with city business. Tonight’s meeting agenda also includes the proclamation of Black History Month and a presentation of the Clearlake Police Department’s annual report.
Fort Bragg Police Department is forming a Community Task Force on Fentanyl. Apply now to become a part of the task force led by the FBPD Project Right Now team. They’re looking for community members who are staff at area middle or high schools, business owners, anyone in the medical field, and parents of children who’ve been impacted by the fentanyl crisis. They’d also like to see applications from elected officials who can help make policy decisions. The deadline to apply is February 9th. If you have questions about the new task force, you can call the Fort Bragg Police Department and ask for Captain O’Neal.
The 43rd Annual Willits Classic 5K walk/run and 10 mile run is coming up. Scheduled for Sunday February 11th, both events start at Willits Recreation Grove Park at 10am. Awards will be handed out to the top three overall male and female finishers. Get registered at RunSignUp.com when you search Willits Classic. You can also register on the day of the race starting at 9am. The Willits Classic is hosted by the North Coast Striders.
Candidates running for Lake County board of Supervisors will gather this weekend for a forum at the Mendocino College Lake Center. On Saturday from 10am to 3pm, candidates from all three districts will gather in the round room. The forum is open to the public, and anyone who attends will be allowed to ask the candidates questions. Candidates from districts 1, 4, and 5 will each be given time to discuss issues affecting the Lake County Community. The forum is being hosted by the Lake County Farm Bureau.
