Fifth District Cleans Up after the Flood of 19
Heartbreak. Help. Humor. Resilience.
The atmospheric river that began Monday February 25 and lasted through February 27 is one for the books. Record rains flooded our local waterways. The Laguna de Santa Rosa and Russian River swelled to historic heights; the Russian River peaked at 45.4 feet late Wednesday night, clocking in at the worst flood since 1995. 2,600 houses and dozens of businesses were under water. 3,700 citizens were evacuated. Mudslides buckled roads throughout west county, cutting off neighborhoods from their larger communities. Roadways washed out and flooded, putting us two steps back after beginning to make small gains in improving our infamous pot-holed roadways. First responders worked around the clock, making swift water rescue after swift water rescue, risking their own lives to ensure the safety of others.
We have to recognize that this was a Big One, and give ourselves a little time and space to recover. There is a lot of work to be done in the weeks and months to come. Things won’t bounce back to normal overnight. Being a historically flood-prone area doesn’t make it any easier to do the hard physical work of picking up your soggy belongings or mucking out your garage. It doesn’t make the pain of ruined cherished items or unexpected expenses any less real or easier to overcome; and that’s OK. It’s OK to take some time to grieve your losses; it’s OK to pause before you pick up the hose, mop or push broom. There are a lot of people feeling the same thing right now.
Everyone who lives by the Russian River loves the Russian River. It’s why we live there. But it is a rare occasion that we are this humbled by her. Seeing tiny houses surrounded by a sea of muddy water, seeing trees torn up like matchsticks in a massive mudslide, seeing parking lots and businesses submerged... I was sobered by the widespread devastation and by how much our community will need to pull together in the weeks and months to come. But I was also galvanized to act, and work hard to help our communities get back on their feet.
After you take a little time for yourself... It’s time to put on our boots and gloves, grab a bucket, grab some disinfectant and start to clean up. It’s time to help out our neighbors and small businesses. It’s time to fall back on that distinctly Russian River sense of resilience, independence and humor. I’m already amazed at the stories I’m hearing of neighbor helping neighbor; I’m already amazed by friends who suffered serious losses still cracking jokes and making us all laugh.
We’ve done it before and we can do it again. We have wonderfully strong and unique communities along the entire River. We’re Guerneville and Rio Nido and Monte Rio. We’re Hacienda and Forestville and Duncans Mills and Cazadero. We’re Sebastopol. (OK, actually, Sebastopol is just Sebastopol.) All joking aside, we are West County and no amount of water can drown our resiliency and ability to build back stronger than we were before.
#SonomaStrong #BetterTogether #WeAreWestCounty
Take care of yourselves — and don’t forget your gloves and muck boots.
Cheers,
Lynda
Local Assistance Center to open Sunday
We’ve been hard at work at the County to open up resources for lower Russian River residents. To help homeowners and renters with next steps regarding storm-related property damage and recovery, Sonoma County will open a Local Assistance Center (LAC) from 12 to 6 p.m., on Sunday, March 3, at the former Bank of America Building, 16390 Main Street in Guerneville. The LAC will remain open through Thursday, March 7. Daily hours will be:
Monday, March 4, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tuesday, March 5, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wednesday, March 6, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday, March 7, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Several government agencies and nonprofits will answer questions, offer resources and take applications for various services. All Sonoma County residents can receive services regardless of immigration status.
The agencies at the LAC include:
Permit Sonoma for over-the-counter permits for some repairs and help to begin the permit process for structural work and building safety
County of Sonoma Human Services Department will take applications for CalFresh food benefits and Medi-Cal
County of Sonoma Health Department, covering Animal Services, Environmental Health and Behavioral Health
Department of Motor Vehicles for those who lost identification and driver licenses
California Office of Emergency Services
Community Development Commission for housing issues
Employment Development Department for help with unemployment
Nonprofits, including the American Red Cross and Salvation Army