St. Helena Prepares For Storms, Makes Sandbags Available

ST. HELENA, CA — The city of St. Helena's Police, Fire and Public Works are staffed and monitoring the storm through Thursday, with crews ready to respond to emergencies related to the expected wind and rain, city officials said in a news release.

"St. Helena can expect heavy rains, which leads to rapidly rising river levels, ponding, and flooding in roadways," said Clayton Church, the city's operations manager. "Glass and Hennessey Fire burn scar areas can contribute to rapid ponding of water in non-burn scar urban areas and low-lying areas with poor drainage."

In St. Helena, sandbags are available at the east dead-end of Adams Street and at Crane Park between the primary school and the tennis courts.

"As with all storms, we encourage to you be prepared in the event of a power outage or other event due to weather," the city said.

Flash Flood Watch

The National Weather Service San Francisco Bay Area has issued a flash flood watch for an anticipated moderate atmospheric river starting at 4 p.m. Tuesday and continuing through 4 p.m. Thursday.

A flash flood watch means conditions may develop that lead to flash flooding. Flash flooding is a very dangerous situation and the weather service advises all to monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action should flash flood warnings be issued.

Those who live on or near a burn scar should sign up for local emergency alerts and have a "go bag" ready, according to the National Weather Service.

"Monitor the weather for forecast updates and heed local official orders," the weather service said.

High Wind Warning

Additionally, a National Weather Service wind advisory goes into effect at 7 p.m. Tuesday and continues through 7 p.m. Thursday. A wind advisory means winds between 20-30 mph are expected. Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles, so extra caution is encouraged.