CLEARLAKE >> The emergency declaration resulting from damages caused by the winter storm and flooding last month was continued by the Clearlake City Council Thursday.
According to Clearlake City Manager Joan Phillipe, the continuation of the declaration is “due to the fact that damage assessment is still in process.”
An update will be presented to the council during its Jan. 9 meeting, after the California Office of Emergency Services (OES) meets with city staff to determine “the level of damage incurred as a result of the storm,” Phillipe said.
Recommendations from the OES will be presented to Governor Jerry Brown based on the visit.
During the storm, which lasted from Dec. 10 to 11, Phillipe said the city experienced “some pretty significant flooding.” So much so that the senior center was not able to be opened as a shelter for people.
However, a Red Cross shelter was opened at Lower Lake High School.
Phillipe said the areas impacted by the storm the most includes The Village, the Burns Valley area and the “tree streets” off of Olympic Drive.
“All the creeks were at and over capacity,” she said.
Former City Councilman Joey Luiz, who spent the initial and hardest day of the storm working to resolve storm-related issues with the Clearlake Police Department said, “there were a lot of slides on San Joaquin Avenue. There was also a lot of flooding in Clearlake Park and the Burns Valley area, with at least one impassable bridge.”
In Lower Lake, a slide on Highway 29 just south of the stoplight caused disruption at the time and remains a future concern. Jesse street was closed due to the water flowing over the bridge. Olympic Drive was impassable for part of the day and Lakeshore Avenue near Austin park was flooded.
“There was so much water some of the manhole covers week popping up,” he added.
The emergency was initially declared on Dec. 11 and was ratified by the Clearlake City Council Dec. 18, as is required by state law
According to Phillipe, the declaration “authorizes the undertaking of extraordinary police power if necessary; provides limited immunity for emergency actions of public employees and governing bodies; authorizes the issuance of orders and regulations to protect life and property; allows special purchasing and contracting directly related to the emergency; sends a proactive message to the community and may provide property owners documentation for insurance purposes.”
Lakeport also declared a local emergency because of the storm on Dec. 11, which closed all but one school in the county, suspended bus transit services and canceled multiple government meetings. However, Lakeport did not continue its declaration after the first day.
Contact J. W. Burch, IV at 900-2022.
