Russian River flooding in Northern California triggers evacuations

[February 27, 2019]    By Alex Dobuzinskis

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A rain-swollen river in Northern California was overflowing its banks early on Wednesday, after authorities ordered the evacuation of thousands of residents in the area and warned that any stragglers could be stranded.

Authorities in Sonoma County, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) north of San Francisco, issued the evacuation orders on Tuesday as the Russian River threatened to flood.

"Please, heed the warning, evacuate now," Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick said at a news conference on Tuesday. "Do not wait until it's too late."

The evacuation orders affected more than 20 communities stretching dozens of miles along the river, including Guerneville, with a population of more than 4,500 people.

The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office posted video online on Tuesday that showed water running down a stairway at a house in the community of Summerhome Park.

The sheriff's office deployed two boats on the river to help with the evacuation, Essick said.

The Russian River surpassed its flood stage of 32 feet (9.8 meters) on Tuesday evening, according to a website of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The river was projected to crest at a height of 46 feet at 10 p.m. local time on Wednesday, Sonoma County officials said in a warning posted online.

The Russian River reached flood stage after three days of heavy rains, with melting snow from the mountains also playing a role, Sonoma County director of emergency management Christopher Godley said at the news conference.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis, editing by Larry King)

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