Update from Kate - Storms, High Tides and Flooding Expected! Get Ready. Read here for details

UPDATE FROM KATE  

Storms Arriving and Flooding Expected! Get Ready.

Please read this bulletin and be ready for rain and flooding in low-lying areas. Also note, higher tides are arriving Monday through Thursday next week. Plan travel accordingly, drive slowly and add extra time to get where you need to go.

National Weather Service - FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR MARIN COUNTY UNTIL SUNDAY JANUARY 8^TH AT 7:00 PM

Predictions for today, Friday, January 6,  indicate clear skies with increasing clouds later today.  Rainfall should be expected to begin late this evening and into early Saturday morning with light to moderate intensity all day Saturday.

For Sunday, predicted rainfall amounts range between 2.70-inches along the northern, eastern and southern County borders with up to 3.59-inches in the coastal mountain ranges and Mt Tam.  Between Saturday and Sunday, the cumulative rainfall could be as much as 6.54-inches.  Stinson Beach is predicted to receive slightly higher amounts of rain than other areas for Saturday and Sunday. Combined with a high tide, low lying areas throughout the County and around Stinson Beach may experience flooding conditions.

The most current prediction for rainfall intensities expect to be light to moderate on Saturday with the heaviest intensity occurring late Saturday night into early Sunday morning.   Lower-lying areas affected by the Mt. Tam watershed should expect significant run-off in its creeks and channels for the duration of this storm.  These areas include, but are not limited to, Mill Valley, Kentfield, Ross, San Anselmo, Larkspur, Corte Madera, Muir Woods, Muir Beach, GGNRA, and Stinson Beach.

Rain is predicted to continue into Monday, but should be much lighter than Sunday’s rain offering a slight break until another storm moves in Tuesday with the highest intensities at late afternoon and evening.  So far, predictions for this storm show it producing slightly less intensities than Sunday’s storm.  Current models are showing rainfall ranging between 2.09-inches in low-lying areas to 2.90-inches at higher elevations over about a 24-hour period.  However, this accompanied with the expected 7-feet tides, significant flooding in low lying areas of the County may occur. 

For the NWS daily weather prediction Discussion visit: http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/total_forecast/getprod.php?prod=XXXAFDMTR&wfo=MTR

For 6-10 and 8-14 day outlook climate predictions visit: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/index.php

CURRENT ADVISORIES, WATCHES, AND WARNINGS:

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/mtr/fastpage/wwa_bc.php?wfo=mtr

TIDE OUTLOOK:

High-tides for the next week are on an upward trend. With tide residuals reaching above predicted tops, tidally influenced flood-prone areas will likely see flooding on Saturday and Sunday.  For Monday through Thursday, predicted heights are expected to be above 6.5-ft, so expect flooding in flood-prone areas over these three days.

Tide High-Low Data Table (Golden Gate)

Date	Time (24hr) 1	Predicted (ft)
Fri 1/6/17 Fri 1/6/17	05.43 12:14	5.80 High  1.26 Low
Sat 1/7/17 Sat 1/7/17	06:32 13:17	6.12 High  0.56 Low
Sun 1/8/17 Sun 1/8/17	07:22 14:13	6.45 High -0.13 Low
Mon 1/9/17 Mon 1/9/17	08:12 15:05	6.74 High -0.70 Low
Tue 1/10/17 Tue 1/10/17	09:02 15:53	6.93 High -1.11 Low
Wed 1/11/17 Wed 1/11/17	09:51 16:40	7.01 High -1.32 Low
Thu 1/12/17 Thu 1/12/17	10:40 17:25	6.93 High -1.34 Low
1 - Add up to 2-hours for northern County Areas

For more tidal information, refer to the NOAA Tides and Currents website:

http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/waterlevels.html?id=9414290

Notes: (1) Tidal height predictions are reported in local standard time (LST/LDT) at the San Francisco gauge. (2) Actual measured tides may be lower or higher than predicted. Higher tides than predicted may occur when high tides coincide with low atmospheric pressure and/or strong winds. (3) Local height corrections, which are based on an historical comparison of measured values, are a general rule of thumb only and may or may not provide a reasonable estimation of actual tides at a given time and location.

PG&E’s Storm Information and Reporting:

Electric Outage Center

Report an outage and check on a known outage: Select a location on the map or search by city. Once outage details appear, you will be able to sign up to receive outage updates.

Get alerts for future outages: First, log in to your PG&E account. Under Alerts, go to Outages. Then select edit. You can choose to be notified by text, email or phone. Don't have an account? You cansign up now

What to Do If You See a Downed Power Line

Never go near a damaged power line that has fallen to the ground or is dangling in the air. Always assumed downed electric lines are energized and extremely dangerous. Stay away, keep others away and immediately call 911 and PG&E at 1-800-743-5002.

Stay away from trees, pools of water & other objects that may be in contact w/ power lines and call 911 then PG&E at 1-800-743-5002.

Outage Tip: Unplug or turn off all electrical appliances to avoid overloading circuits when power is restored

If you must use candles, keep them away from drapes, lampshades & small children. Do not leave candles unattended.

As always, we’re here for you. Please feel welcome to share this information widely with friends and neighbors. Stay safe and exercise caution when venturing out.

You may reach me by sending a message to ksears@marincounty.org.