- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
National Weather Service issues flood and high wind watches ahead of big storm
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With Northern California bracing for a big storm set to arrive midweek, forecasters have issued flood and high wind watches for Lake County and much of the rest of Northern California.
The flood and wind watches are the result of a forecast expecting significant precipitation – rainfall in lower elevations, snow in the mountains – that will begin Wednesday night and continue through Friday.
The flood watch will be in effect from 10 p.m. Wednesday through 10 p.m. Friday, while the high wind watch starts at 6 p.m. Wednesday and ends at 6 p.m. Thursday.
The updated forecast expects between 2 inches and 5 inches of rain in Lake County as a result of the storm.
Across Northern California, snow levels are expected to fall to about 5,000 feet on Friday.
Some parts of the state affected by wildland fires earlier this year may experience significant runoff and debris buildup, which could exacerbate flooding, according to the forecast warnings.
Coupled with the rain will be high winds. The Lake County forecast anticipates wind gusts of up to 24 miles per hour on Wednesday, with south wind gusts expected to increase to 26 miles per hour that night.
Other parts of Northern California – particularly Sacramento Valley areas – could see gusts of up to 60 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service.
Those winds could possibly lead to tree and power utility damage, and will make driving more dangerous, forecasters said.
Also on Monday, the National Weather Service issued a video, which can be seen above, about the storm outlooks and steps Northern California residents can take to prepare.
Local officials are still in cleanup mode following last weeks storms, which dumped an average of about 3 inches of rain on Lake County, according to National Weather Service precipitation records.
Lakeport Public Works Superintendent Doug Grider said the low lake level was a benefit in the current situation, as much of the rainwater was draining into the very low lake.
By Monday night, Clear Lake – which had hit a low of -0.85 feet Rumsey in mid-November, was nearly at zero Rumsey, according to the US Geological Survey.
In the city of Clearlake, cleanup for the most recent storms is keeping crews busy, according to Public Works Director Doug Herren.
“We’ve been experiencing minor flooding throughout the city due to drain inlets being covered with leaves and debris,” Herren said.
He added, “I urge property owners to clean up their leaves around the front of their properties so they don’t plug up drainage inlets.”
In light of the impending storm, the director of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, Mark Ghilarducci, on Monday urged Californians on be prepared.
“This storm will present a risk of flash flooding and debris slides in areas where ground conditions have not adapted to the saturation,” he said. “This year was also a significant fire season for Northern and Southern California and burned areas are especially at risk for debris slides. Even regions that don't experience regular seasonal flooding could see flash flooding during this intense storm system, which could be the largest to date of this year's rainy season.”
Ghilarducci advised state residents to educate themselves about potential risks where they live and “to take basic steps to increase their own ability to be resilient through these storms and their impacts. The public safety community will be very busy during these storms and it's important to help reduce 911 call volumes by lowering your risks of danger as much as possible.”
Among his suggestions for increasing personal emergency preparedness before an emergency:
– Establish out-of-area emergency contacts;
– Create a simple, small emergency kit that can sustain you and possibly others for 72 hours following a disaster (for tips visit http://www.caloes.ca.gov/planningandpreparedness/Pages/Planning-and-Preparedness.aspx );
– Stay away from rising waterways, such as creeks and rivers;
– Know how to evacuate quickly, should you experience rising water levels.
Storm updates will be posted on the Lake County News Web site and Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=br_rs , and on the National Weather Service Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NWSSacramento?ref=br_tf .
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.