The early February storms that unleashed heavy rains and high winds across the North Bay, downing trees and power lines, caused an estimated $3.2 million in damage to Sonoma County’s roads and government buildings.

The toll, while not insignificant, is small compared to the deadly 2023 winter storms that prompted President Joe Biden to declare a state of emergency for California, said Johannes Hoevertsz, director of Sonoma County’s public infrastructure department. The severe storms last year caused $15 million to $17 million in damage, Hoevertsz said.

Washouts and other damage to the county’s 1,368-mile road network accounted for $3 million of the damage, taking up much of the storm toll. The affected segments include Eagles Nest Road in Guerneville and Austin Creek Road in Cazadero, said Hoevertsz.

The $250,000 toll on county buildings mainly involves roof leaks and a downed tree that damaged a garage on the Los Guilicos campus in northern Sonoma Valley, Hoevertsz said.

The total $3.2 million is not enough to qualify for relief funds through agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency, so the county is preparing to cover the costs from its road fund, Hoevertsz said.

In Napa County officials did not see any permanent damage to county buildings or roads, said Napa County spokesperson Holly Dawson.

The county not expecting any long-term costs associated with the storms but will see some overtime costs associated with storm response, Dawson said in a text message. Overtime reports will be run at the end of the month so the county does not yet know what those payroll costs will be, she added.

With more rain expected this weekend, Sonoma County officials’ primary concern is runoff, given the level of soil saturation, Hoevertsz said.

“We haven’t had time to dry out,” he said.

Up to 3.5 inches of rain is forecast for the North Bay’s valleys and up to 6.5 inches in the coastal mountains through Sunday. Initial showers will drop up a half-inch of rain in Sonoma and Napa counties.

In this storm as in the past one, Sonoma County officials may preemptively close some roads prone to flooding ahead of heaviest rainfall, Hoevertsz said. If they do, the affected roads are likely to include the same group from the past storm, most of them in west county.

“It was a success in our opinion. No vehicle got stranded,” Hoevertsz said of the preemptive closures.

The list of affected roads includes portions of Slusser Road, Starr Road, Trenton-Healdsburg Road, Mark West Station Road and Green Valley Road.

The county will announce any road closures on social media, Hoevertsz said. He advised residents to avoid any “unnecessary travel.” For a list of current road closures in Santa Rosa and across the county, go to socoemergency.org/emergency/road-closures.

Napa County officials do not anticipate closing any roads, Dawson said via text. She encouraged residents to sign up for emergency notifications through the county’s website at readynapacounty.org.

Emma Murphy is at 707- 521-5228 or emma.murphy @pressdemocrat.com.