Napa County Storm Coverage: Flood Warning, Road Closures, Outages

NAPA COUNTY, CA — Flooding has closed several roadways Tuesday in Napa County as the latest in a series of so-called "atmospheric rivers" pounds the North Bay.

A flood warning continues for the Napa River and a flood advisory remains in effect for the North Bay counties of Sonoma, Napa and Marin until midnight, according to National Weather Service's San Francisco Bay Area office.

The NWS said some locations that will experience flooding include: Santa Rosa, Napa, Petaluma, San Rafael, Novato, Rohnert Park, Windsor, American Canyon, Mill Valley, San Anselmo, Larkspur, Healdsburg, Sonoma, Corte Madera, Tiburon, Cloverdale, Fairfax, Sebastopol, Cotati and Sausalito.

Tuesday afternoon, Napa County Office of Emergency Services said county personnel continue to monitor the storm and river, streams and creeks.

"Napa County is experiencing localized flooding and road closures," officials with Napa County OES said. "While neighboring counties are experiencing major flooding, Napa County flood control measures are working and we are not anticipating significant flooding issues. Napa County will continue to update the public throughout this storm event."

Additionally, a flood warning continued Tuesday for the Russian River at Johnsons Beach near Guerneville, the Napa River near St. Helena and the Napa River near Napa.

"Periods of moderate to heavy rain are expected to continue across the Napa and Russian River basins through tonight as a strong atmospheric river continues to impact the North Bay," NWS officials said. "Water levels will continue to rise on the Russian River and Napa River through tonight [Tuesday]."

The Napa River near Napa and near St. Helena as well as the Russian River near Guerneville and near Healdsburg were all forecast to reach "moderate to major flood stage" Tuesday evening.

"People living in low-lying areas adjacent to the river should be especially aware of local conditions," NWS officials said Tuesday morning. "Move to a safe location NOW."

According to Napa County OES, Oak Knoll between Big Ranch Road and Silverado Trail is flooded.

Napa County road closures Tuesday included: Lodi Lane between Highway 29 and Silverado Trail; Washington Street south of Yountville; Big Ranch Road at Salvador; Ragatz Lane; and Oakville Cross Road between the Napa River and Silverado Trail.

The City of Napa encouraged residents, especially those along the Napa River, to remain aware of local weather conditions.

"The National Weather Service is predicting periods of moderate to heavy rain through tonight and water levels will continue to rise on the Napa River," city spokeswoman Jaina French said in a news release.

"If you live in low-lying areas adjacent to the river, or in an area that historically experiences localized flooding during wet weather, you should be especially aware of local conditions," French said. "Alternatively, many areas that have experience localized flooding in previous years may not experience flooding now due to the Flood Project."

In a Nixle alert at 7 p.m. Tuesday, the city of Napa said forecasts showed the Napa River will exceed flood stage early Wednesday morning.

Napa city officials said residents and business owners in low-lying areas who have experienced flooding in the past should monitor conditions. These areas include: Lincoln Avenue west of the river; Soscol Avenue at Lincoln south near the bypass; Lake Park neighborhood; Taylor Street neighborhood; and the South Coombs area near Imola.

Parks and public areas in the city of Napa closed Tuesday because of weather and potential flooding included: Trancas Crossing, Oxbow Preserve, China Point Park, Oxbow Commons, Main Street Boat Dock, Stanly Lane Trail, Garfield Park -pedestrian bridge over Salvador Creek, River Trail - Trancas to Lincoln, and Hennessey Boat Launch.

"City crews are out monitoring parks and trails, and we will keep you updated here if there are additional closures," French said. "After the storm, staff will evaluate areas for debris and public safety prior to re-opening areas."

St. Helena City Manager Mark Prestwich said in a storm update at about noon Tuesday that the city's Police, Fire and Public Works departments are staffed and monitoring the storm.

"Crews will be ready to respond to emergencies related to the expected rain," Prestwich said. "St. Helena can expect heavy rains, which leads to rapidly rising river levels, ponding and flooding in roadways. We encourage you to exercise caution when driving. Sandbags are available at the East dead end of Adams Street and at Crane Park between the primary school and the tennis courts."

Prestwich said the city encourages residents to also be prepared for power outages or any other storm-related emergencies.

PG&E said it opened its District Storm Room in Napa Tuesday morning in order to respond to storm-related outages in the North Bay safely and as quickly as possible.

"Although the number fluctuates, right now, there are 161 customers without power right now in Marin and Napa counties," PG&E Spokeswoman Deanna Contreras said in an email at 1:47 p.m. Tuesday. "There are zero outages in Benicia and Vallejo."

Contreras said that in Marin and Napa counties, outages Tuesday were impacting small amounts of customers with addresses in: Angwin, Forest Knolls, Inverness, Napa, Novato, Pt. Reyes Stations, Pope Valley, St. Helena and San Rafael.

Patch will update this post as more information is gathered; please refresh the page for the latest.