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Roughly 500 homes flood along Russian River near Guerneville
Melba Martinelli, like many living in the lush forests along the Russian River, woke up Monday to surging water outside her mobile home.
The weekend storm that soaked most of California had passed, but the river that winds through Sonoma County’s wine country was still swelling, locked into its routine of steadily rising with mountain runoff — and was beginning to spill its banks in the Guerneville area west of Santa Rosa.
By the afternoon, roughly 500 homes, including Martinelli’s, were estimated to be taking in water as the river crested above 35 feet, or three feet past flood stage.
“It stopped raining, but the water level just continued to climb,” said Martinelli, 53. “It was actually pretty scary. I didn’t know how I was going to get out of there.”
As it turned out, a fast-thinking neighbor on her street in downtown Guerneville flipped the camper shell of his truck, turning it into a makeshift raft, and paddled the two out.
“It worked really well,” Martinelli said, as she stepped to safety on high ground a block away. “I didn’t even get wet.”
As high as the water got Monday, it could go higher. According to government forecasters, the Russian River is expected to drop below flood level in Guerneville early Tuesday before surging again Wednesday amid continuing rains.
Roughly 500 homes flood along Russian River near Guerneville
Melba Martinelli, like many living in the lush forests along the Russian River, woke up Monday to surging water outside her mobile home.
The weekend storm that soaked most of California had passed, but the river that winds through Sonoma County’s wine country was still swelling, locked into its routine of steadily rising with mountain runoff — and was beginning to spill its banks in the Guerneville area west of Santa Rosa.
By the afternoon, roughly 500 homes, including Martinelli’s, were estimated to be taking in water as the river crested above 35 feet, or three feet past flood stage.
“It stopped raining, but the water level just continued to climb,” said Martinelli, 53. “It was actually pretty scary. I didn’t know how I was going to get out of there.”
As it turned out, a fast-thinking neighbor on her street in downtown Guerneville flipped the camper shell of his truck, turning it into a makeshift raft, and paddled the two out.
“It worked really well,” Martinelli said, as she stepped to safety on high ground a block away. “I didn’t even get wet.”
As high as the water got Monday, it could go higher. According to government forecasters, the Russian River is expected to drop below flood level in Guerneville early Tuesday before surging again Wednesday amid continuing rains.
Roughly 500 homes flood along Russian River near Guerneville