Flood Watches are in place as the region braces for an incoming Atmospheric River. The Watch goes from late tonight through late Thursday night for Lake and Mendocino Counties, including both the Mendocino Coast and Interior Mendocino. Forecasters say 3 to 5 inches of rain is expected to fall tonight and Wednesday with an additional 2 to 3 inches possible Thursday. They are warning about creeks and streams possibly rising out of their banks as well as flooding in poor drainage areas. You are also going to want to be on the lookout for rock and landslides along the roads.
While forecasters are warning of potential urban and stream flooding with the Atmospheric River moving in this week, they say they are not necessarily worried about the Russian River near Hopland and the Navarro River. Officials tell the Mendocino Voice both are expected to stay below flood stage even as the area gets up to 8 or 9 inches from tonight through Thursday night. They do say flooding at the rivers is possible at their lowest points with closures possible along parts of State Routes 175 and 128. As for the Garcia River, some flooding is possible but not likely along State Route 1 between Point Arena and Manchester.
The Lakeport City Council is taking up a plan when they meet today that could help homeless people in the city. Council members will hear about a feasibility study that looked at setting up what’s called a navigation center to provide resources for those without a place to live. The study reviewed services a center would offer and where it could be located. Also on the agenda, a proposed ordinance that would add a tobacco retailer’s license to the city code, and a discussion of a trust fund to address affordable housing. The meeting starts at 6pm this evening in the Lakeport City Council chambers.
A Feather Alert has been issued for a missing Humboldt County woman. The Sheriff’s activated the alert Sunday for 20-year-old Naomi Donahue in collaboration with the CHP and the Bear River Rancheria Tribal Police. Naomi was last seen Sunday evening near Arcata. She is 5’3” tall, about 230 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Naomi is believed to be traveling in a silver four-door sedan although police are not sure the make and model. Naomi is affiliated with the Bear River Rancheria, and they say her disappearance has prompted urgent action to ensure her safety. You can see her picture on the Redheaded Blackbelt Website which is https://kymkemp.com/.
Laytonville Healthy Start Family Resource Center is looking for donations for their annual Thanksgiving dinner box program. The Center gives out Thanksgiving dinner boxes to families and older folks who may be struggling financially to make sure they can enjoy a festive holiday meal. They are looking for donations of turkeys, boxed stuffing, chicken broth, canned corn, cranberry sauce, evaporated milk, canned pumpkin for pie, canned yams, instant mashed potatoes, mushroom soup, pie shells, packaged dinner rolls, packets of turkey gravy and sparkling apple juice. Donations can be made at the center on Willits Ave by the end of the day tomorrow. (November 20).
There’s been another fatal boating accident off the Sonoma coast near Bodega Bay, the third since the beginning of the month. Witnesses told the Press Democrat they saw the boat capsize close to the shore around 2pm Monday and helped pull the boaters from the water. Officials say there were five people aboard the boat with one of them confirmed dead and four others taken to a hospital, two of which were airlifted. On November 2, a crabbing boat with six people capsized in the rough coastal waters, killing two people and injuring one with three still missing. On November 3, a crabbing boat capsized with two men aboard; one was rescued and the other was found dead.
