Parts of the North Bay could receive several inches of rain by Saturday night, prompting residents to prepare for the worst before hunkering down.
Fernando Gama and his sister Brenda knew there was no time to waste Friday before the storm intensified.
Their neighborhood is prone to storm problems, and their family’s garage has flooded in the past. They hope some new sandbags prevent that from happening again.
Watch NBC Bay Area News free wherever you are
WATCH HERE"It’s super inconvenient to have everything in your garage flood, so we are trying to avoid that," Brenda said.
Santa Rosa Fire Marshall Paul Lowenthal said residents who live in burn scar areas are especially at risk. Mud and rock slides are more likely in those areas.
"These are the same residents that we asked to be prepared during fire season," Lowenthal said. "We also ask them to be prepared during these winter months – having cell phones charged, having go bags ready, having a plan in the event that there is some sort of event or land movement that they may have to evacuate."
This week’s wet weather has already left a lot of streets and roadsides waterlogged.
Caltrans crews spent time Friday digging ditches to keep the water flowing and off of Highway 12.
At least one Sonoma winery was already feeling the rain’s impact. The road to the business’ entrance was submerged.
With the flood watch in effect as of 4 p.m. Friday, people were urged to avoid unnecessary travel.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news with the Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
SIGN UP "We see time and time again where residents or people try to drive across flooded roadways or flooded creeks, streams," Lowenthal said. "All it does is not only puts you at risk, but it also creates an unnecessary response."
The Gamas are heeding the warnings, taking precautions and hunkering down until the storm passes.
"Trying to stay indoors as much as possible," Brenda said. "You never know with the roads and everything. It doesn’t hurt to be too careful."
