To: Board of Supervisors, County of Sonoma
Department or Agency Name(s): Emergency Management & Sonoma Water
Staff Name and Phone Number: Jeff DuVall, CEM / 707-565-1152; Jon Niehaus / 707-975-3999
Vote Requirement: Informational Only
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Flood Preparedness
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Receive an Update on Flood Preparedness
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Executive Summary:
The flood preparedness update will be an information-sharing session where staff will provide preparedness information on: the upcoming 2025 winter/flood season projects, County/Operational Area readiness, Emergency management’s (DEM) preparedness efforts, regional collaboration efforts with local cities, special districts, state agencies, such as California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), California Department of Water Resources (DWR). In addition Sonoma Water will present an overview of seasonal preparedness efforts such as stream maintenance, central Sonoma watershed project, and an overview of key flood projects across the county
Discussion:
Over the last six years, Sonoma County has experienced 14 locally proclaimed disasters, including wildfires, floods, droughts, and power shutoff events. As Sonoma County enters the fall and winter seasons, potential extreme weather and temperature events resurface, including high wind events, snow/freezing conditions, atmospheric river events, and stream/creek/river flooding.
For today's presentation, Brian Garcia, Warning Coordination Meteorologist with the National Weather Service - San Francisco/Monterey Bay office, will provide an overview of the potential fall/winter season outlook. Winter 2025/2026 is expected to start in Southern Oscillation La Niña conditions, meaning that the storm track favors the Pacific Northwest with wetter and cooler conditions. Models are indicating emerging from La Niña into Southern Oscillation neutral phase sometime in middle to late winter. This could open the storm door for Sonoma County, and the remainder of the Bay Area. Other factors that need to be watched by meteorologists are seasonal signals such as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and intraseasonal signals such as the Madden-Julian Oscillation and Arctic Oscillation. Differing phases of these signals can enhance or diminish the Southern Oscillation signal. Beyond flooding, cold temperatures that impact human life, and agricultural crops will be another area of focus, as the Pacific Northwest's favored storm track may draw down cold temperatures from time to time this winter. Human health will be at risk during these windows. Preparation is key as we move through autumn into winter. Preparation for the most severe of storms will help prepare for nearly any storm.
Jeff DuVall, Director of the Department of Emergency Management, will give an update on county efforts for fall/winter season preparedness, which includes an overview of the Sonoma County Operational Area Lower Russian River Flood public safety coordination meeting, readiness of the Lower Russian River Incident Command Post, overview of the alert & warning concept of operations plan for the upper and lower Russian River, upcoming EOC training in preparation of the winter months. Additionally, an overview of DEM’s community preparedness and engagement efforts, including coordination with RV parks along the Russian River, and current flood data projects by DEM’s water hazards program.
Jon Niehaus, Field Coordination & Operations for Sonoma Water, will provide an overview of preparedness efforts for Sonoma Water including recent stream maintenance efforts across the county.
Since 2019, the Department of Emergency Management has worked to build a robust Alert and Warning program and develop a comprehensive inventory of emergency support annexes (earthquake, flooding, care and shelter, and alert and warning) for the County Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). We continue to support and foster community preparedness efforts with all Operational Area partners and the community.
Strategic Plan:
This item directly supports the County’s Five-Year Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following pillar, goal, and objective.
Pillar: Resilient Infrastructure
Goal: Goal 5: Support, fund, and expand flood protection.
Objective: Objective 3: Evaluate the feasibility, creation, and/or update of Flood Protection Plans and seek out financing mechanisms to establish protection zones countywide by 2026.
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
01/15/19: Quarterly Disaster Preparedness Workshop - Overview of Flood Hazards
Fiscal Summary
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
None.
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
None.
Attachments:
PowerPoint Presentation
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None.