UPDATE:
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has issued evacuation orders and warnings for sections of the Eel River area.
Find the areas and further information here.
For those who need to evacuate, the HCSO states: “The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services in coordination with the Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services and the American Red Cross-Gold Country Region today established an Evacuation Center for those impacted by the storm. The Evacuation Center is located the Fortuna Firemen’s Pavilion, located at 9 Park St. Fortuna … . The center will be open today, Thursday, Nov. 21 at 4 p.m. while community needs are assessed.
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The Eel River at Fernbridge is expected to hit major flood stage Friday, while the Van Duzen and Mad rivers are slated to reach minor flood stages, with a flood warning in effect until 4 p.m. Saturday.
But that’s not all the storm has in store, according to the Eureka office of the Nation Weather Service.
“Strong and damaging southerly winds are forecast to develop tonight,” a NWS social media post states. “Wind gusts from 45 to 65 mph are expected along the coast and across the interior mountains. Saturated soil will increase the threat for falling trees. Watch out for falling tree branches and debris on the roads. Prepare for power outages.”
The Eel River is projected to hit the 20-foot minor flooding stage around 7 p.m. today, rising into the moderate flood zone of 22 feet in about two hours, before moving over the 25-foot major flooding mark at around 8 a.m. Friday, reaching a peak of 25.3 feet near noon.
At 25 feet, the California Nevada River Forecast Center states, the Eel River Delta will likely see “severe flooding,” “including areas northwest of Loleta and the western portion of Cannibal Island Road,” resulting in “numerous road closures in low-lying areas, including Highway 211 to Ferndale.”
The Eel River is expected to breach the moderate flooding stage of 22 feet around 9 p.m. today, which means the “western half of the Eel Delta may be completely flooded, especially if at or above this level for an extended period of time,” the center’s website states, noting “owners of livestock should take appropriate action to protect their animals.”
The Eureka office of the National Weather Service urges residents to “make plans for these impacts.”
Over in Bridgeville, the Van Duzen River is predicted to inch over the minor flooding stage at 17.1 feet at 6 a.m. Friday, with the Mad River in Arcata expected to do the same, reaching 22.4 feet around 10 a.m. Friday.
Hitting the 22-foot zone as predicated would bring the “significant flooding of portions of Mad River Beach Road,” the center states, noting “water may flow across roads to Tyee City” and the impacts can be “aggravated by high tides and strong, onshore winds.”
Updates on the forecasts of local rivers can be found at www.cnrfc.noaa.gov.
This article appears in Bitten.
