While the latest storm has prompted flood watches across the Bay Area for Monday, many eyes were on the Russian River in the North Bay, where residents in Guerneville still had canoes and supplies at the ready from the last floods. Thom Jensen reports.
While the latest storm has prompted flood watches across the Bay Area for Monday, many eyes were on the Russian River in the North Bay, where residents in Guerneville still had canoes and supplies at the ready from the last floods.
Lane Friedman was unloading groceries and supplies from her Toyota Prius, which is too low to the ground to make it home. The final 300 yards of her commute are covered with water, 2 feet deep in some places.
"I'll switch to our higher clearance vehicle and drive that in I think," Friedman said. "And then we'll see what happens in the morning."
When she left for work Sunday morning, it was too deep even for the SUV, she said.
"I canoed out at about 8:30 this morning, so I could get to Sebastapol," she said.
It's been an almost daily routine for Lane and her neighbors since the initial flood from the Russian River overflow a little over two weeks ago.
With roads and bridges already blown out by previous flooding, the National Weather Service told people along the Russian River to expect more flooding by about 7 a.m. Monday. And people should be ready to evacuate.
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Friedman's neighbor, Ed Long, said he won't leave. Instead, he'll wait for the water to drop, something he did for a week straight earlier this month.
"We have food supplies and stuff," he said. "Even our music has battery backup."
That's not an option for Lane and others who have to get to work and school. Their morning commute will probably begin with canoes and paddles. It's something they're getting a lot of experience with this year.
"I mean, we've been flooded more days than we have not been," Friedman said.
People who have been through this type of flooding many times before said the water probably will already be waist to neck deep by the time the river goes over its banks Monday morning.
The National Weather Service expectes the river to crest by about 7 a.m. Monday.
