Nov. 21, 2024 | November Atmospheric River/Flood Update

On Nov. 19, Humboldt County and surrounding regions in the Pacific Northwest have been impacted by an atmospheric river, intensified by a bomb cyclone. The storm has brought heavy and continued rainfall and strong winds, resulting in county-wide flood and wind warnings from the National Weather Service.

The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office of Emergency Services (OES) continues to urge residents to prepare themselves for ongoing storm impacts throughout the week.

As storm-related impacts such as regional power outages, fallen trees and minor impacts to our roadways continue, conditions will remain closely monitored in coordination with other local agencies and partners. The Humboldt County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is continuing to provide public information, impact assessment, and situational awareness related to the storm.

The National Weather Service (NWS) predicts more wind and continued rainfall in the coming days, raising the need to prepare for flooding. There will be sharp increases in river water level, so stay away from river flow areas. Please keep reading for evacuation information, safety and preparedness tips, and Humboldt ALERT information.

Evacuation Information

The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office has issued an Evacuation Order for the following zones:

• HUM-E105-B : north of Riverside Rd./Dillon Rd., south of Cockrobin Island Rd./Cannibal Island Rd., east of Riverside Rd., west of Nissen Ln./Dillon Rd.
• HUM-E101-A : north of Eel River, south of Cannibal Island Rd., east of Pacific Ocean, west Eel River Dr./Hawks Hill Rd.
• HUM-E106-B : north of Goble Ln., south of Cockrobin Island Rd., east of Nissen Ln, Dillon Rd., north of Eel River Dr, State Highway 271.
• HUM-E110-A : north of Pleasant Point Rd/Grizzly Bluff Rd, south of Redwood Hwy, east of State Highway 271/Waddington Rd., west of Riverwalk Dr./Dinsmore Dr.

Residents in this zone should evacuate immediately.

Additionally, an Evacuation Warning has been issued for the following zones:

• HUM-E101-B : north of Cannibal Island Rd., south of Phelan Rd., east of Cannibal Rd, west of Redwood Hwy/Hawks Hill Rd.
• HUM-E105-A: north of Centerville Rd., South of Riverside Rd., east of Pacific Ocean, west of Port Kenyon Rd./Riverside Rd.
• HUM-E106-A : north of Port Kenyon Rd., south of Goble Ln., east of Port Kenyon Rd./Riverside Rd., west of State Highway 271/Goble Ln.
• HUM-E107 : north of Fernbridge/Singley Bar Rd., south of Singley Rd., east of Singley Bar Rd., north of Fernbridge/Redwood Highway.
• HUM-E110-B : north of Grizzly Bluff Rd., south of Pleasant Point Rd., east of Waddington Rd., west of Pleasant Point Rd.
• HUM-E119 : north of Price Creek School Rd., south of Grizzly Bluff Rd., east of Regli Ln., west of East Ferry Rd./Sandy Prairie Rd.
• FOR-E012 : north of Fowler Lane/Sandy Prairie Road/Redwood Highway, south of Redwood Highway, east of Drake Hill Rd., west of Redwood Highway.
• FOR-E016-A : north of Riverbar Rd., south of Demello Rd., east of US Highway 101/Sandy Prairie Rd, west of Riverbar Rd./Rocky Ln.
• HUM-E138-B : Grizzly Creek Campground/State Park area.
• ARC-E001-B: north of Lamphere Rd., south of Fischer Ave./Mad River Rd., east of Pacific Ocean, west of Miller Ln/US-101 N/Mad River Rd.
• HUM-E033-B : north of Mad River Rd., south of School Rd./Stapp Rd., east of Pacific Ocean, west of US-101.

Residents should remain ready to evacuate at a moment's notice if conditions worsen. Residents are advised to prepare for potential evacuations, including gathering personal supplies and overnight accommodations. More information will follow if an Evacuation Order is issued.

Evacuation Center

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, CA 95540. The center will be open today, Thursday, Nov. 21 at 4 p.m. while community needs are assessed.

Know Your Zone

All Humboldt County residents are encouraged to know their zone. Humboldt County has been split into 300+ numerical evacuation zones which may be modified to meet the needs of an active emergency. Zones may be split may be into new zones to better accommodate emergency notifications and to reduce or expand zone status. Find your evacuation zone at protect.genasys.com.

Flood Safety

If you encounter flooding here are key flood safety tips to remember:

• Do not walk, swim or drive through flood waters. Turn Around, Don't Drown!
• Just six inches of moving water can knock you down, and one foot of moving water can sweep your vehicle away.
• Stay off bridges over fast-moving water.
• Stay inside your car if it is trapped in rapidly moving water. Get on the roof if water is rising inside the car.
• Find safe shelter right away.
• Get to the highest level if trapped in a building. Only get on the roof if necessary and once there signal for help. Do not climb into a closed attic to avoid getting trapped by rising floodwater.
• Contact with floodwater should be avoided, wherever possible, as it may contain untreated sewage or other harmful contaminants. Sewage overflows have been reported by local service districts as a result of stormwater infiltration exceeding the capacity of their facilities and may affect your area.
• Washing hands with water known to be safe and changing into dry clothing and shoes, after incidental exposure to flood waters, will reduce concerns with communicable diseases.
• Residents with wells or water systems impacted by floodwaters should not consume the water until the system has been tested to confirm that the water quality meets safe drinking water standards. As a temporary measure, bottled water may be used for drinking and cooking.

Learn more flood safety tips at ready.gov/floods.

Be Prepared

Additional rain in the forecast is expected to bring risk of downed trees, potential minor flooding in low-lying areas, creeks and streams, power outages and potential road blockages. For emergency preparedness tips and resources, please visit humboldtgov.org/prepare.

Try to stay off the roads unless travel is necessary. If you do need to travel, please review the Caltrans Quickmap to check road conditions along your planned route.

Be Cautious of Downed Power Lines

If you encounter a downed power line, call 9-1-1 IMMEDIATELY to report its location and then PG&E at 1-800-743-5002. Be sure to stay at least 35 feet away and wait for help to arrive. NEVER touch a downed power line or go near one. Here are some more safety tips if you come across a downed power line:

• Keep others and pets away.
• You cannot tell whether or not a power line is energized just by looking at it, so consider all downed power lines live and dangerous.
• Do not drive over a fallen power line.
• Stay away from flooded areas and downed trees during and after a storm. These areas could be hiding an energized power line.

To check current power outages for your area visit the PG&E Outage Center Map.

Sign Up for Humboldt Alert

Humboldt County residents are encouraged to sign up for Humboldt Alert to receive local emergency notifications, including information regarding evacuations and emergency sheltering in the event of a disaster. Residents can sign up by going to humboldtgov.org/alert.

For updated information regarding the Humboldt County storm response please visit www.humboldtgov.org/emergency, follow @HumCoOES on Facebook and X or call 707-268-2500.

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