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The largest road infrastructure impacts we’ve seen have been to Rio Nido, Giovanetti Road in Forestville, and Austin Creek Road in Cazadero. We know there are lots of potholes and other surface damage, too — and our roads crews will get to those! — but for the moment we are in triage mode, and are focused on collapsed culverts, sinkholes, and roads that are falling into creeks.
Rio Nido experienced a catastrophic culvert failure impacting Canyon 7. This culvert system dates back to WPA, the Works Progress Administration implemented by President Roosevelt as part of the New Deal, so it’s been around for quite a while and has never been fully replaced. The collapse of the culvert led the creek that runs between Rio Nido Road and Canyon 7 to flow over Canyon 7 and also undermine the HOA’s property near Peewee Golf and the BBQ pits. This caused severe localized flooding, including impacts to nearby apartments, and also a substantial sinkhole on HOA property.
Meanwhile in Caz, Austin Creek Road experienced multiple landslides which undermined the road base and pulled chunks of asphalt into the creek. Austin Creek is one of the flashiest creeks in West County, with an ability to rise quickly and carry entire redwood trees down to the River. Saturated soils and high winds led to a lot of downed trees, which contributed to the bank erosion we experienced.
A culvert failure on Giovanetti Road in Forestville — which is a one-way-in, one-way-out road serving a local neighborhood — led to extreme flooding in both of the recent storms. Sonoma County Public Infrastructure Director Johannes Hoevertsz visited the site after the first storm and we attempted to clear the culvert, but the second storm showed us that a more substantial repair or replacement is needed.
I also want to acknowledge that trees have fallen into homes, and some residents face a long road to recovery. Fort Ross School sustained direct damage from a tree. Some students have been out of school for days, and some residents are staring down a full week without power.
But there is always a rainbow after a storm. And so I want to say: THANK YOU to the helpers. As usual in West County, when the going gets tough, the tough get going! During the storms we saw neighbors helping neighbors, community members clearing clogged drains, non-profit organizations stepping up to deliver generators and lanterns and services. First responders — from firefighters to Sheriff’s deputies to CHP to roads crews to PG&E workers — were out in the middle of the storm trying to clear roads and keep people safe. If “stuff” is going to hit the fan, there’s nowhere I’d rather be than West County, because we all pull together to take care of one another.
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