nicasio_reservoir
Roughly four inches of rain during the storm brought the Nicasio Reservoir to capacity.    David Briggs

The winter storm that peaked last Wednesday night felled trees and power lines, closing roads and causing freak accidents countywide. It also brought seasonal state rainfall up to average levels: although its employees are working without pay due to the shutdown, the National Weather Service reported that rainfall was at 65 to 75 percent of normal levels at the start of January but is now 85 to 95 percent. Sierra Nevada snowpack is slightly above average. The storm, which dropped around four inches of rain in West Marin, led to localized flooding that coincided with king tides and brought a series of tragedies as people navigated unusual conditions. The Hearsay News this week commemorated a Mill Valley man with Bolinas roots who, standing guard near downed power lines until emergency responders arrived, lost his life to a passing car as he leapt out of the way of a falling tree on Wednesday night. On Lucas Valley Road on Thursday, a PG&E crew attending to a fallen utility pole that had cut power for over 140 customers wound up turning their focus to a driver who exited his car and fell into Nicasio Creek. Though his injuries were severe, he is stable, according to the Marin Independent Journal. The sheriff’s log depicts mud slides, smoking power lines and trees decommissioning cars, propane tanks and roads. Julian Kaelon, spokesman for the county’s Department of Public Works, recounted closures on Bear Valley, Tomales-Petaluma, Platform Bridge, Lucas Valley, Cypress and Hawthornden Roads. “The wind was intense and caused the vast majority of the issues. The roads crews worked through Wednesday night to get roadways clear for the morning commute,” Mr. Kaelon wrote to the Light. He added, “There were several locations in Marin that had issues with localized flooding due to the high tides and intensity of the rain. Those locations drain out naturally and were mostly gone by Thursday night.” For the oceanside communities, surging storm waves were compounded by the king tides, a colloquial term for the times, usually in January, when the moon is nearest the earth, the earth nearest to the sun, and all three are aligned, maximizing the gravitational pull. Some locals were taken back to the flood of 1982; Jean Berensmeier, a longtime San Geronimo Valley resident, posted precautions on NextDoor prior to the storm. She listed a few areas that have historically flooded and said, “Do not drive or walk through flooded areas… Down power lines seen or unseen could kill you. Have strict rules for the kids. And consider CHECKING IN WITH YOUR NEIGHBOR.” Anna Schnieder, a National Weather Service meteorologist, told the Light the storm met expectations. The agency is still watching for El Niño conditions, though Ms. Schneider cautioned they don’t necessarily promise heavier rainfall for the state.