Marin County opens emergency shelter as county braces for flooding
Marin County has opened its emergency shelter for homeless residents as a series of storms descends on the Bay Area.
Emergency agencies have begun passing out sandbags and warning residents in low-lying areas that more flooding could be on the way. A flood watch will be in effect from Friday evening through Saturday evening, according to the NWS.
The county got between one-third and three-fifths of an inch of rain in the 24-hour period leading up to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly 4 more inches is expected to fall by Sunday.
The county shelter was scheduled to open at 5 p.m. Thursday through 6:30 a.m. Friday and reopen again at 5 p.m. Friday though 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Marin Health and Wellness Campus at 3240 Kerner Blvd. in San Rafael. The shelter has a maximum capacity of 60 visitors, according to the county’s Department of Health and Human Services.
It is the third time this month that the county has opened an overnight shelter on account of weather.
“The more rain we get consistently, the more ground saturation there is, the more risk for downed trees, and that includes trees taking out power lines,” Marin County Fire Department Chief Jason Weber said.
“Early in the season we’re fortunate that we still have some capacity in the reservoirs, which is a good thing because it acts as a retention basin,” Weber said. “Once we see that our reservoirs are overflowing, the creeks become very reactive.”
The Marin Municipal Water District’s two smallest reservoirs, Lake Lagunitas and Phoenix Lake, had already hit capacity and “have seen some spillover this week due to recent rains,” said Tyler Silvy, a spokesperson for the utility.
The rest of the district’s reservoirs, however, should be able to keep taking in more water throughout the rainy days ahead, Silvy said.
Federal forecasters predicted the Point Reyes National Seashore, Novato, Woodacre, Sausalito, San Rafael and Novato would see the most rain-related flooding from Friday afternoon through Saturday evening.
Low-lying areas in Mill Valley, Corte Madera, Larkspur and the Ross Valley were also at risk, said Marimar Ochoa, a spokesperson for the county.
On Highway 101, the Lucky Drive off-ramp near Larkspur began flooding Thursday morning, according to Caltrans.
Weber, who is also chief of the Ross Valley Fire Department, said his agency is keeping a close eye on Corte Madera Creek, which frequently overtops its banks in heavy rain.
Those traveling to and from ski areas in the Sierra Nevada should plan extra travel time and keep essential goods such as water and snacks in their cars in case they are held up in traffic, according to emergency workers.
Several highways along and through the mountain range had travel restrictions Thursday during the day, with most motorists instructed to avoid the roads unless they had chains on their tires, although many of those had lifted by Thursday evening, according to Caltrans.
Much of the Sierra is expected to get another foot of snow by Sunday, with 3 feet possible at elevations higher than 7,000 feet and 5 feet possible above 8,000 feet, according to the NWS.
Residents and visitors in the Lake Tahoe area, near Mammoth Lake and in Mono, Lassen and Plumas counties in particular should avoid travel if possible, or risk being stranded in vehicles for hours, according to the NWS.