People kayak down Mill Street in flood waters from the overflowing Russian River in the town of Guerneville, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The Russian River in Sonoma County crested at more than 46 feet (14 meters) Wednesday night, flooding about 2,000 buildings. (AP Photo/Josh Edelson)
The Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, David Rabbitt, provides an overview of the damages so far as a result of the flooding from the Russian River, when it is estimated to recede below flood levels, the number of homes, properties and businesses affected by the flooding in the region, the estimate on when the evacuation might be lifted for the city of Guerneville and surrounding towns, how long the shelters might be open, and when disaster cleanup might begin:
West Count Supervisor Lynda Hopkins describes how bad it is in her region presently due to the storms and flooding, the state of homes and businesses in the smaller towns along the Russian River, the status of downtown Guerneville, the rescues that have already taken place with the dedication of the first responders, what the process is to lift the mandatory evacuations, if there are any health concerns that people should be aware of, and the status of organizations being mobilized to help from outside of the area to help with cleanup and debris removal:
Spokesperson for the Emergency Operations Center, Kris Montgomery, shares how many people are currently in the shelters in Santa Rosa and Sebastopol, what the shelters need as far as donations, what the EOC is concentrating on today, the status of the Russian River, and how long will the EOC remain open during this situation:
Sebastopol City Councilwoman, Neysa Hinton, details how they prepared for the storm before it arrived, provides an update on the Barlow and how it wasn’t here during the last flood, the status of the businesses near the Laguna and the damage they suffered, the traffic and closures in the Sebastopol region, when the damage will be assessed, and what her job is next for disaster relief:
Incident Commander Spencer Andreis of the Sonoma Valley Fire District describes what he has witnessed over the past forty-eight hours as far as flooding, what his station at the Graton Fire Department is handling, and what will the next step be as recovery begins:
Executive Director of the Northwest California Chapter of the Red Cross, Jeff Baumgartner, shares how many people are using the shelters, the situation presently and whether they need any items for donation, and how this week’s flood compares to those of the past: