Highway 101 traffic slowed by flooding, Petaluma River on the rise (w/video)

Traffic was brought to a near standstill on Highway 101 at the Sonoma-Marin county line for much of the day Thursday as heavy rain sent San Antonio Creek surging over its banks, covering the North Bay’s main traffic artery with a foot of water.

Just to the north, falling rain combined with rising tides to submerge several flood-prone sections of northwest Petaluma on Thursday afternoon. The Petaluma River crested its banks and flooded adjacent streets, including Petaluma Boulevard north of Corona Road.

A section of Industrial Avenue was under 4 feet of water, and Petaluma firefighters used a boat to evacuate six stranded motorists, said Jude Prokop, acting battalion chief. Another 30 people sheltered in place at businesses in the area and waited for the water to recede, Prokop said.

But as dusk approached, the high tide subsided and the river level began to drop, sparing any further damage.

“Mother Nature is running its course,” Prokop said.

Highway 101 remained open during the storm, which dropped 3.2 inches of rain on Petaluma during the 24-hour period ending at 4 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. But traffic slowed to a crawl around 11 a.m. when water from nearby San Antonio Creek pooled on the highway at the county line, forcing motorists to cautiously navigate the foot-deep water at speeds of 15 mph.

By afternoon, only one lane of the highway was open to commuters in each direction. Northbound traffic backed up at times to Novato.

The Petaluma River - actually a tidal slough that connects to San Pablo Bay - rose 3 feet between noon and 4 p.m. as the tide flowed in, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration tables. Residents of the Payran Road neighborhood in Petaluma watched as the river rose to within 10 feet of the top of the Army Corps of Engineers flood wall that protects their property. Neighbors say they haven’t seen the river reach these levels since the floods of 1998.

“Sure, we’re concerned,” said Barbara Veith, standing on the Payran bridge under an umbrella. “I’m watching the level.”

Her neighbor, Leah Stevens, said she purchased flood insurance after the last flood. She and other neighbors said the flooding underscores the need for the Army Corps of Engineers to complete a flood control and river dredging project.

“They need to finish the flood fix,” she said.

The Penngrove Mobile Home Park and Leisure Lake Mobile Home Park in Petaluma were asked to evacuate, Rancho Adobe Fire Battalion Chief Andy Taylor said.

“We’ve seen lots of little localized flooding,” he said. “We’ve had multiple trees and power lines down.”

PG&E reported power outages in Cotati, Penngrove and west of Petaluma affecting about 2,000 customers. The outages, which started as early as 6 a.m., were largely resolved by 3 p.m., but several areas west of Petaluma remained without power Thursday night.

Petaluma opened the community center at 320 N. McDowell Blvd. for residents displaced by floodwaters, but no one showed up by late afternoon. Many residents filled sandbags at stations around the city and hunkered down at home.

Sandra Chisham said the water on her street was halfway up the side of her Mini Cooper, and her son’s garage had flooded. She said her son was out Thursday morning clearing debris from storm drains to allow the water to recede.

“The city should be more responsible for clearing the drains,” the retired business owner said as she shoveled sand on Hopper Street. “I retired so that I can bag sand!”

The 130-bed Committee on the Shelterless homeless shelter at 900 Hopper St. was full, CEO Mike Johnson said.

“We’re maxed out,” he said. “The rain is driving everyone indoors. When it comes down in buckets, there is nowhere else for people to stay dry.”

Petaluma City Schools were closed Thursday, and many were expected to remain closed on Friday. Parents and students complained about the late notice sent out about 7:45 a.m. Thursday. At Petaluma High School, some students had already arrived for the “zero” hour class at 7:30 a.m.

“My dad dropped me off, and halfway through my class they said school is canceled,” said Calvin Arango, a 14-year-old freshman waiting to be picked up Thursday morning. “I’ll go home and sleep and relax.”

Fellow freshman Clara Silva was also waiting to be picked up from school Thursday morning.

“My mom dropped me off,” she said. “We didn’t know school was canceled. I love it.”

Many of the kids who stayed home went to the movies. Boulevard Cinemas did better business than a typical Thursday afternoon, assistant manager Peter Bellomo said. The top-selling tickets were for the kids movies “Big Hero 6” and “Penguins of Madagascar,” he said.

“It’s busier than a normal Thursday,” he said. “I was mentally prepared for a lot of people today.”

Staff Writer Lori A. Carter contributed to this report. You can reach Staff Writer Matt Brown at matt.brown@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @MattBrownPD.