Wednesday storm updates: Some school districts to remain closed Thursday

More rain is in the forecast for the next few days. A new storm coming Wednesday and Thursday is forecast to again raise the Russian River toward flood stage in Guerneville.

Here is the latest:

7:20 p.m.: Some school districts to remain closed Thursday

Three area school districts will be closed Thursday due to the recent storms, but the number of closures is down from earlier this week.

The Sonoma County Office of Education announced the following closures:

• Horicon School District
• Kashia School District
• Montgomery Elementary School District

The latter also will be closed Friday, according to SCOE.

It emphasizes school districts and independent charters make their own decisions to close.

There are 40 school districts in Sonoma County and all are operating as normal unless listed above.

6:30 p.m.: Windsor declares severe storm emergency

The Windsor Town Council Wednesday declared a state of emergency in response to the series of severe storms that have been battering Sonoma County.

It took a special meeting to adopt a resolution ratifying the Jan. 6 proclamation by Town Manager/Director of Emergency Services Jon Davis because of damage caused by the atmospheric river systems affecting both the town and the state.

The vote was 4-0, with Council member Tanya Potter absent.

Davis said the proclamation was “not in response to any major incident; it is more proactive in nature.”

The emergency proclamation strengthens the town’s ability to be reimbursed for storm-related expenses and “will allow the town to respond even more effectively to the storms (and) seek and utilize mutual aid,” he added.

Mayor Rosa Reynoza said it is a necessary move.

“I’m supporting our staff and our town manager that we need to have this in place, especially if there are any drastic measures needed in order to get reimbursed by any funding source that’s out there,” she added after the meeting. “We are already doing what we need to do out there to keep the residents safe.”

2:40p.m.: Russian River flooding risk eases in Guerneville

Federal river forecasters have once again eased predictions for flooding on the Russian River.

The next two peaks, projected earlier Wednesday to reach just above flood stage in Guerneville on Thursday afternoon and Sunday morning, are now expected to hit slightly below, around 29 ½ and 30 feet early Thursday afternoon and about noon on Sunday.

Flood stage is 32 feet.

The California Nevada River Forecast Center, run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, issues three forecasts a day based on existing rainfall and forecast storms, so the projections are fluid.

So far over the past week, advance forecasts have been more severe than what’s materialized.

The graph below is updated continuously:

2:10 p.m.: New flooding possible in North Bay

That National Weather Service said Wednesday another “impactful storm” is due Friday into the weekend with renewed flooding concerns area-wide.

Before then, on Wednesday Santa Rosa could see up to an inch of rain and Cloverdale could see as much as an inch and a half of rain.

2 p.m.: Sheriff’s Office investigating two people found dead in Sea Ranch house

Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the fates of two people found dead in a house at The Sea Ranch on Wednesday but say the fatalities are unrelated to a tree that fell nearby.

Initial reports of the incident on or near Spinnaker Close indicated the tree had fallen on the house, causing the pair to perish.

But Sheriff’s Office spokesman Rob Dillon said that did not appear to be the case, though details have not been available due to poor radio and phone communication between Santa Rosa and the subdivision in the coastal mountains of the north Sonoma Coast.

Dillon said he was unaware of any evidence of foul play but said he did not know what else might have happened or if power was out at the house.

12:10 p.m.: Reports: At least one dead after tree falls into house in Sea Ranch

Emergency officials responded Wednesday to reports of a tree into a house in The Sea Ranch that caused at least one death and, possibly, two.

North Coast Fire Protection District Chief Bonnie Plakos was en route to the incident on Spinaker Close on the east side of Highway 1 shortly before noon and was unable to provide details or any information about when the tree may have come down.

But Plakos said Tuesday that hundreds of trees had fallen around the subdivision and other areas within the 172-square-mile fire district, including 10 that fell into Sea Ranch homes.

Ongoing storm activity over the past week has now cost at least five lives across Sonoma and Mendocino counties, at least three from trees that crashed into homes because of high winds and saturated ground.

10:30 a.m. Body of Ukiah woman recovered from flood-trapped vehicle outside Forestville

The body of a Ukiah woman was recovered from a flood-trapped vehicle outside Forestville Wednesday morning, according to authorities.

The woman was identified as Daphne Fontino, 43, by the Sonoma County Coroner’s Office, according to a news release from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office.

The Sheriff’s Office and Sonoma County Fire District personnel located the vehicle in floodwaters on Trenton-Healdsburg Road near River Road at 7:46 a.m.

A deputy dove into the water, found the vehicle and determined there was a body in the vehicle. Deputies and fire personnel then removed the body, according to the release.

9:30 a.m.: Russian River predicted to crest above flood stage twice over next week in Guerneville

The Russian River is now predicted to crest just above flood stage twice in Guerneville over the next week, as incoming storms continue to dump more rain on the sodden North Coast.

The most recent projections put the river at 32.7 feet around 3 p.m. Thursday and at 32.5 feet around 9 a.m. Sunday, according to the California Nevada Forecast Center.

Flood stage is 32 feet.

The forecast suggests a continued roller coaster for residents in low-lying areas who have been on flood-watch for a week already. Though the river has not met repeated projections of more serious flooding, residents haven’t yet been able to relax because of ongoing atmospheric rivers and forecast river rises.

Though the river itself may do little damage below 33 feet, the high river prevents creeks from joining the main stem, causing them to spill their banks onto roads and into neighborhoods.

The graph below is updated continuously:

8:30 a.m.: Body recovered in flood-trapped vehicle outside Forestville

A body was recovered from a flood-trapped vehicle outside Forestville Wednesday morning.

Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office and Sonoma County Fire District personnel located the vehicle at 7:46 a.m. in a vineyard.

The Sonoma County Fire District said it cannot release any information about the recovery. Any information would come from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, according to Sonoma County Fire District Fire Marshal Cyndi Foreman. Attempts to reach representatives of the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office were not immediately successful Wednesday morning.

The vehicle was found about 100 yards from the road and about 200 to 300 yards from the banks of Mark West Creek, according to a Press Democrat photographer who was at the scene.

The water around the vehicle was just above its roof.

The Sheriff’s Office and Sonoma County Fire District first received reports of a vehicle trapped in floodwaters on Trenton-Healdsburg Road near River Road Tuesday morning. They started looking for the vehicle about 10 a.m. but did not find one.

2:17 a.m.: National Weather Service issues wind advisory

The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory early Wednesday for the entire Bay Area, including Sonoma County, and portions of the Central Coast, including Monterey and San Benito counties.

The advisory is from 7 a.m to 7 p.m.

Valley winds are expected at 15 to 25 mph with gusts 40 to 50 mph.

The weather service reminds people that strong winds could blow around unsecured objects.

1:25 a.m: National Weather Service issues flood watch

The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for the North Bay, including Sonoma County for Wednesday and Thursday.

The watch in effect from Wednesday at 7 a.m. to Thursday at 12 p.m.

Widespread flooding, shallow mud, rock and landslides and the rapid rise of creek,streams and rivers is possible.

Track the storm

Track the storm using the real-time radar map below:

Schools closed Wednesday due to weather concerns

Schools in four Sonoma County school districts remain closed Wednesday due to weather concerns, according to the Sonoma County Office of Education. Each has been closed since Jan. 5.

They are:

– Fort Ross Elementary School District

– Horicon School District (also plans to close Thursday)

– Kashia School District

– Montgomery Elementary

The Office of Education emphasized there are 40 school districts in Sonoma County and others are operating as normal unless included in the above list.

The decision to close is made by each school district.