- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
More rain expected; no flood damage reported so far
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The National Weather Service issued a followup flash flood watch for the Valley, Rocky and Jerusalem fire burn areas as the region gets set for another round of storms.
The flash flood watch is to last from 3 to 10 a.m. Wednesday, the agency said.
That followed a flash flood watch that had been in effect until Tuesday evening after a day of heavy rain.
On Tuesday afternoon, Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office said that, after consulting with Lake County Central Dispatch and the county's Emergency Operations Center, no reports of damage had come in as a result of the storm at that point.
“We are closely monitoring the situation,” Brooks said.
Brooks said the Lake County Department of Public Works had placed sand bags and muscle rails in areas within the burn scar that have the potential for flooding and mudslides. “They have also been clearing debris out of creek beds.”
He said additional information on flooding and flood risk after fire can be found at: http://www.lakecountyrecovers.com/community-updates/knowing-your-flood-risk .
The National Weather Services reported rainfall totals for the 24-hour period from 12 a.m. Tuesday to 12 a.m. Wednesday, in inches, as follows:
– Cobb: 1.95;
– Hidden Valley Lake: 1.37;
– High Glade Lookout (above Upper Lake): 1.39;
– Kelseyville: 1.04;
– Lakeport: 0.64;
– Lower Lake: 1.32;
– Middletown: 1.30;
– Nice: 1.20.
The rain improved the level of Clear Lake, which was at 1.56 feet Rumsey late Tuesday night, up by more than 0.20 feet Rumsey since the weekend. However, it's still not at the January 5, 2015, level of 2.79 feet Rumsey, according to Lake County Water Resources Department records.
US Geological Survey stream gauges showed local creek levels had jumped dramatically over the past 24 hours thanks to the rainfall.
More rain is expected through the rest of the week, with the specific Lake County forecast calling for rain throughout Wednesday, with nearly an inch possible during the course of the day. Up to quarter of an inch of rain is forecast for Thursday. Low winds also are forecast both days.
Chances of showers are forecast for Friday and Saturday, with conditions expected to clear on Sunday. Then, the forecast calls for showers again on Monday and Tuesday of next week.
Temperatures this week are expected to be in the low 30s at night and into the high 40s during the day.
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