Winter storm slams into Sonoma County - Petaluma Argus Courier

Winter storm slams into Sonoma County

Area recovering in aftermath of windstorms that struck on Dec. 24

Chris Montaño looks for personal possessions in the room he and his wife were sleeping in along with a child, who sustained minor injuries when an 150-foot redwood tree crashed through their home on River Road west of Guerneville on Wednesday. Kent Porter — The Press Democrat

Three cars were crushed by a giant redwood tree before it fell through a home Dec.24 on Highway 116 in Guerneville. John Burgess — The Press Democrat

A resident looks up at the trunk of a giant redwood that crashed through his home on Dec. 24 and stopped halfway through the ceiling where his baby daughter and parents slept in their Guerneville home. His daughter was injured by debris but sustained no serious injuries. John Burgess — The Press Democrat

Strong overnight winds toppled a large tree onto vehicles at the corner of Lincoln Street and University Avenue on Dec. 24 in Healdsburg. Kent Porter — The Press Democrat

Graton Fire Protection District firefighters, including volunteer Shane Skikos, left, move an acacia tree from the middle of Cherry Ridge Road near Graton on Dec. 24, uprooted by overnight winds. Kent Porter — The Press Democrat

A large tree crushed two vehicles after strong winds blew the tree over, Dec. 24 at the corner of Lincoln Street and University Avenue in Healdsburg. Kent Porter — The Press Democrat

A television reporter surveys the scene of a redwood tree which crushed three vehicles and a house on River Road west of Guerneville on Dec. 24. Kent Porter — The Press Democrat

Image

By Colin Atagi, Anna Armstrong and Isabel Beer

The Press Democrat

Recovery efforts were expected to continue on Christmas Day on the heels of the second of two overnight windstorms that wreaked havoc across Sonoma County and the area.

Christmas Eve’s gusts, anticipated to reach up to 54 mph, weren’t expected to be as strong as what passed the previous night into the morning. They nonetheless have the potential to intensify the wave of damage mostly felt in the rural communities of Western Sonoma County and Mendocino County.

The strongest gust reached 79 mph near Oak Ridge Raws. That was followed by a 78-mph gust off King Ridge Road near the coast.

On Dec. 24, National Weather Service Meteorologist Dylan Flynn said the biggest impacts from the storm would occur overnight and that it wasn’t out of the question for people to travel during the day on Christmas.

“The only issue traveling today is what happened last night,” he said.

It was the result of two specific factors: Saturated soil brought upon by heavy rainfall from a week-long atmospheric river; and gusty winds that surpassed 70 mph and were strongest along the Sonoma County coast. The combination allowed trees to more-easily fall over, crashing down into at least two homes and blocking numerous other roads.

Sonoma County and the rest of the Bay Area remained under a flood watch through 10 p.m. Dec. 26.

“Honestly, I’m not terribly concerned about the Russian flooding,” Brian Garcia, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said on Wednesday, noting the weather system lacked the prolonged, steady rainfall typically associated with major flooding on the Russian River. “If anything, the ones we got to watch are kind of the flashier basins, the ones that rise and fall quickly. I think Mark West is a good example of that, Sonoma County.”

Although strong wind was developing overnight while most people slept, it was still expected to be the predominant factor in any damage from this week’s storms.

The California Highway Patrol received numerous calls about downed trees between the night of Dec. 23 and the next morning. By the time wind eased and the sun began to shine, emergency crews reported the biggest damage was to two Guerneville homes crushed by a downed tree.

The destruction was in the 17000 block of Highway 116, where a 3-year-old child suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital as a precaution, said Cyndi Foreman, division chief fire marshal with the Sonoma County Fire District. Neither home was habitable after sustaining the damage.

A resident of one of the damaged homes declined an interview but said that two cars next door were smashed by the fallen tree. He added that his family members were safe and suffered only minor injuries. He also said that his family are sad the damage happened on Christmas Eve but “it comes with living in this area.”

Dyann Green lives just down the street and said no one could sleep because of the storms.

“It was horrible,” she said.

Green said when the tree came crashing down on the home she heard a loud noise and felt shaking in her house.

Green was spared from the worst of the storm but said her yard is littered with limbs and debris and a small portion of her fence came down.

Norm Green and Joey Moreland of Green Tree Service were assessing the damage of the house in Guerneville, but said it’s been a busy day across the North Bay.

Moreland, a resident of Rio Nido who also works with Timberline Tree Service, started his morning early by helping remove a tree limb from a resident’s roof.

Calls have been coming in from across Sonoma County and as far north as Lake County, Norm Green said.

Still, he said about 70 percent of calls come out of western Sonoma County.

“We expect this,” Norm Green said, referring to the storm damage in West County. “We get ready for it.”

Norm Green said this storm was particularly powerful, calling the scene “a war zone.”

With more days of rain and wind ahead, the pair said they expect it will be a busy few days for the business.

High winds from the overnight storm kept city crews busy in Healdsburg, as officials assessed damage.

A large oak tree fell onto parked cars at the corner of University and Lincoln streets, prompting police to advise motorists and pedestrians to avoid the area while crews removed the tree.

Storm damage was also reported in the Healdsburg Plaza, where a large branch from an oak tree in the southwest portion of the plaza fell overnight, damaging the city’s decorated holiday tree and two gift box displays.

Because the lighting system is interconnected, the holiday tree lights cannot be repaired and will not be relit this season, Ray Holley, a city spokesperson said in a news release Wednesday afternoon.

City crews roped off the southwest quarter of the plaza as a precaution, and a professional tree service was scheduled to remove the damaged oak tree Friday morning. Holley said the damage to the oak was significant and it was not safe to leave the tree in place.

Additional downed trees were reported elsewhere in Healdsburg, including at the corner of Chablis and Chiquita streets.

City officials urged residents to report flooding, downed trees not blocking roadways or power outages to the city’s emergency utility hotline, and to call 911 for emergencies threatening life or property.

Western Sonoma County was hit hardest by a series of power outages that left upwards of 7,162 Pacific, Gas & Electric customers in the dark as of 5 a.m. Dec. 24. Another 839 customers lost electricity in the Bennett Valley area east of Rohnert Park.

At 2:20 p.m., more than 17,000 PG&E customers in Sonoma County were without power.

All streetlights in Guerneville were out for most of the day and most local businesses were closed. PG&E was unable to give an update as to when power would be restored.

In Santa Rosa, two PG&E helicopters were dispatched to fly over to monitor and inspect the area for any downed power lines, according to a spokesperson from the agency.

Jason Clay, a spokesperson for the Cal Fire Lake, Napa, Sonoma unit, said the department was busy responding to calls of downed trees and power lines in Napa and Lake Counties.

Between 4 and 7 a.m., Clay said the St. Helena area was hit hard by wind with numerous reports of downed trees. Between 7:30 and 9 a.m., he said the agency was responding to a lot of calls of trees in houses and roads in the area around Cobb Mountain, working with the South Lake County Fire Protection District.

Cal Fire LNU has set up a task force in Lake County with one staffed engine ready to respond to storm-related calls.

“We are prepared and ready to support our local partners as needed,” Clay said.