Sonoma County closing local roads ahead of incoming storm

Sonoma County officials have updated the list of roads they plan to preemptively close ahead of the storm expected to hit the North Bay on Saturday night.

That storm will be the second of two atmospheric rivers to hit the North Bay in just days, bringing with it a higher chance of damage as streams run higher and the saturated ground struggles to absorb the additional rainfall, county officials and meteorologists say.

To prepare, county officials have identified stretches of five flood-prone roads on the outskirts of Windsor and Forestville which they expect to close Sunday:

• Slusser Road between River Road and N. Laughlin Road
• Starr Road by Mark West Station Road
• Trenton-Healdsburg Road between the north side of River Road and Eastside Road
• Mark West Station Road between Trenton-Healdsburg Road and Starr Road
• Green Valley Road from Thomas Road to Ross Road

On Friday, county officials added Green Valley Road to the list of roads expected to close.

Johannes J. Hoevertsz, director of the county’s public infrastructure department, said county officials have noticed a pattern emerge during the past few big storms of people trying to cross flooded roads in that area.

“People just think they can make it,” he said.

On Wednesday evening, emergency personnel helped a woman who became stranded in her vehicle while attempting to cross a flooded Mark West Station Road on Wednesday evening.

The woman’s Honda CRV was stopped in water that was two to three feet deep with a current. The vehicle stalled about 800 feet from Starr Road and 400 feet from Trenton-Healdsburg Road. Water flowed into the vehicle and the driver was unable to open the door.

The rescue took place a mile away from the area where, a year ago, a 43-year-old Ukiah woman died after flooding near Trenton-Healdsburg Road trapped her in her car, which was pushed into a vineyard. In June 2023, the woman’s husband filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Sonoma County.

Six inches of water is all it takes to reach the bottom of most cars — a message that county and state officials stressed last year as heavy storms caused serious flooding across California and emergency responders carried out multiple rescues across the state.

“It really doesn’t matter if you have a low-profile vehicle or an SUV or a Humvee. We have seen all them get stuck,” Hoevertsz said.

County officials have not determined exactly when on Sunday the roads will close, but Hoevertsz said the closures will most likely take effect in the evening. The county will reopen the roads Monday morning if they are clear of water and debris.

The county has identified a second group of roads, many of the further south in the county’s dairy and poultry belt, that may close in certain stretches depending on conditions as the storm rolls in. That list include segments of: Rohnert Park Expressway, Wohler Road, Valley Ford Road and Freestone Valley Ford Road.

Hoevertsz said instances of people driving through flooded roads has contributed to a feeling of frustration among officials responsible for seeing the county safely through storms and emergencies.

“We’re trying to support and protect the firefighters and the emergency personnel that put their lives at risk, unnecessarily, because someone tries irresponsibly to cross a flooded road,” he said.

The county has installed stream gauges along roads prone to flooding, as well as reflectors and signs to help alert drivers to dangerous conditions before they get stuck, Hoevertsz said.

He added that the county, along with local fire departments, have been turning to social media to remind residents not to drive across flooded waters.

“I don’t know what else we could do,” Hoevertsz said. “I’m open to anything else.”

As the region prepares for the next storm, Hoevertsz repeated a familiar message:

“Please stay home if you can,” Hoevertsz said. “When there’s a storm, try not to drive and definitely don’t drive over flooded roads.”

Staff Writers Jeremy Hay and Madison Smalstig contributed to this story. You can reach Staff Writer Emma Murphy at 707-521-5228 or emma.murphy@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @MurphReports.