LAKE COUNTY >> The county is bracing itself for a major storm brewing off the north western coast. Rainfall of 3 to 7 inches and wind gusts as high as 60 mph are expected to bring widespread power outages, downed trees, stream flooding and debris flows to the county starting Wednesday evening and continuing through Friday.
The heaviest precipitation is anticipated on Thursday. With difficult driving conditions, residents are encouraged to check their emergency supply kits and be prepared to hunker down in their homes if necessary.
“Usually, people in this kind of weather tend to drive in conditions a little over their head,” California Highway Patrol (CHP) Officer Kory Reynolds said. “People are still going to travel, though. They have to be smart about it.”
Reynolds recommends people ensure their headlights are working, replace windshield wipers if needed, drive slowly, watch for objects in the road and leave themselves enough time to get where they need to be. He also noted during torrential downpours in Europe, drivers were required to pull over and wait for the heavy rain to pass. He recommends similar driving tactics, as visibility will be cut dramatically and dirt, rocks, trees and powerline poles could be obstructing the roadways.
Currently CHP doesn”t have plans to increase staffing levels for the storm but under serious enough conditions, it does have the option of calling more people in, Reynolds said. CalTrans will also be assisting CHP in clearing county roads as soon as possible.
“In storms like this, we get multiple calls about obstructed roadways,” Reynolds said. “We try not to get hung up on one so we can try to take care of the worst cases.”
The county has also been anticipating the storm for the last week with crews from all districts double checking drainage systems are clear, according to Department of Public Works Director Scott De Leon. Road crews are also taking note of potential problems, such as dead trees laying near roadways, Water Resources Engineer Tom Smythe said.
A section of Hill Road, which sits beneath Lakeside Heights houses disturbed by over-saturated soil, remains closed and the bypass to the hospital is in place.
De Leon”s biggest concern is his crew”s safety while they work under the high winds.
“It”s a double-edged sword,” De Leon said. “We need the rain, but it”d be nice if it didn”t come in such mass quantities and especially with such high winds.”
Marisa Chilafoe of the county”s Office of Emergency Services advises residents to keep trees trimmed and yard debris to a minimum, protect areas vulnerable to flooding with sandbags, and secure items such as lawn furniture, trash cans, hanging plants, or anything else that can be picked up by the wind and become a projectile.
A basic emergency supply kit includes a three day supply of one gallon of water per person per day, non-perishable food, a radio and a can-opener.
On the other hand, at least some of the county”s approximate 300 homeless people will struggle to obtain shelter during the next three days. Clearlake and county social services are unaware of any overnight shelters available for the homeless population, though rumors of efforts to open a warming shelter for the winter exist.
From 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., The Bridge will provide its usual services, including access to laundry facilities, computers, a telephone and a hot cup of coffee. The center is located at 7000 S. Center Drive in Clearlake and can be contacted at 994-7090.
“I would have hoped that at least maybe some churches would get some volunteers together and open their doors during the storm but I haven”t heard of any,” The Bridge Coordinator Carole Ford said. “It”s pretty darn sad.”
