California's wine country is facing its worst flood since 1995. Photos show some areas under 8 feet of water.
Under normal circumstances, Guerneville is a popular getaway destination for Bay Area residents.
When torrential rains batter the heart of Sonoma County, the Russian River exceeds its normal height, overflowing into nearby Guerneville.
The worst flood ever recorded there happened in 1986, when the river crested to 49.5 feet, roughly 18 feet above the flood mark.
When the river overflows, it can shut down roads and bridges, cutting off access to some areas.
On Tuesday, local authorities ordered evacuations in 25 communities where flooding on the Russian River was expected to be the worst.
The order affected thousands of residents, and officials went door-to-door to alert as many people as they could about the need to leave their homes.
In the cities of Sebastopol and Healdsburg, floodwater spilled into the wastewater treatment facility, prompting the declaration of local emergencies, according to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
Guerneville's 4,500 residents were among those told to evacuate, but many of them stayed put, since residents are used to flooding.
By Wednesday, only half of Guerneville's residents had left, the Associated Press reported.
Source: AP
That left thousands of people trapped, with boats their only feasible mode of transportation.
In some areas, residents were unable to move their cars to safer elevations in time.
Wine country businesses are taking a big hit because of the disaster.
Some Sonoma County vineyards were swamped by rising waters.
While most winter rainfall and flooding doesn't harm vineyard grapevines, wineries are concerned about the effects of potential hillside erosion.
According to the Jordan Winery blog, grapevines can have "wet feet" for about 20 days.
Sonoma County officials estimated that 2,022 homes, businesses, and other buildings were flooded, a county spokesman told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
Source: Santa Rosa Press Democrat
Some homes were flooded by up to 8 feet of water.
Those people who chose to wait out the flood in their homes could be stuck for days, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Source: LA Times
No deaths have been reported, but local officials are concerned that residents may have gotten trapped in cars in the rising water.
In Monte Rio, firefighters worked to free people trapped in their car on Tuesday night. Rescuers took “17 people out of cars and houses during the night,” Fire Chief Steve Baxman told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
“Too many people are driving into the water,” he said.
This is not the first time Sonoma County residents and officials have dealt with severe flooding.
Guerneville has flooded multiple times in recent decades, though the most recent flood seems to have been particularly bad.
"I have lived here in this area for the last 10 years and this is the highest I have ever seen it," Forestville resident Zak Wood told San Francisco's ABC News.
According to the National Weather Service, this is the sixth highest height the Russian river has ever reached.
This shot of flooding dates back to 1997.
But regardless of how accustomed to flooding locals may feel, it's costly to rebuild every time.
Sonoma County estimated preliminary costs of the storm and subsequent flooding to be about $25 million, including roughly $2.5 million in emergency response, Supervisor David Rabbitt told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
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