The floodwaters have turned two communities in Northern California into temporary islands.
California wine country flooding is the worst the region has seen since 1995 when the Napa river reached record peak levels. The rain in Northern California has turned two wine country communities into temporary islands. At the moment, they can be reached only by boat.
Thousands of homes and businesses are flooded as rivers across the region crest their banks.
The Russian River crested at over 46 feet last week and the water did not recede until later in the week. Though an evacuation order was made, hundreds of people remained in their homes. That said, according to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, there were no calls for assistance from those individuals.
It is not uncommon for the rivers in the area to lead to California wine country flooding. However, the rainy weather has led to floods at levels that have not been seen for a quarter of a century. An estimated 2,000 buildings in the Guerneville community were swamped by the water.
“Guerneville has essentially become an island,” said Briana Khan, a spokesperson for Sonoma County. Similarly, Monte Rio, another nearby town was also isolated when floodwaters made their way over local roads, cutting the area off from any transportation other than boats.
Rainstorms in the west as well as Sierra Nevada snow led to the California wine country flooding.
As of yet, it is too early to know the official cost of the damage, but local homeowners insurance, auto insurance and business insurance companies are ready to take calls and claims from policyholders. They will begin adjusting once it becomes safe to do so.
Aside from the flooding itself, some of the most significant challenges had to do with the Sierra Nevada snowfall throughout the Pacific Northwest and Montana. There, Governor Steve Bullock issued an emergency order, according to a PBS report. The goal was to make sure that adequate heading fuel would remain available while the temperatures remain below freezing.
Despite approximately 3,500 people remaining within several river communities under evacuation orders, there were no injuries reported as a result of the California wine country flooding.
