Calaveras Sheriff issues weather "concern"

  UPDATE:  Today, Wednesday December 10, 2014, is the "calm" before the storm.

   Per the Calaveras Sheriff, a wet and windy storm is expected to bring significant rain and snow to interior northern California Wednesday night into Friday.

   The significant rainfall along with the rains earlier this month
will lead to rises on the small streams and flooding in poorly drained areas.

   Debris flows over burn areas are possible with saturated soil and periods of moderate to heavy rain. A high wind watch will be in effect from Wednesday evening through Friday evening.

   The National Weather Service in Sacramento has issued a flood watch for a portion of Northern California including the following counties:

   Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lake, Lassen, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Shasta, Sierra, Solano, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Tuolumne, Yolo and Yuba along with recent burn scar areas of the Rim and King fires.

   From Wednesday evening through Friday evening "winds southeast 30 to 40 MPH with gusts up to 60 MPH develop Wednesday night and Thursday--rainfall amounts forecast are 1 to 3 inches in the valley and Delta 2 to 5 inches in the foothills and 3 to 8 inches in the mountains.

  Snow levels will lower to around 5000' on Friday. and periods of heavy rain over recent burn scars could cause debris flows and flash flooding."

   Precautionary preparedness actions:

   A flood watch means there is a potential for flooding based on current forecasts.  The sand and sand bags can be obtained at the Murphys Fire Department, Calaveras County Road Department maintenance yards in San Andreas and Jenny Lind.

     There will also be sand and bags available at the parking lot  across from the Shell gas station on Vista Del Lago Drive in Valley Springs.  You will need to bring your own shovels for filling bags.

   Excessive runoff from heavy rainfall will cause elevated levels on small creeks and streams and possibly flooding and ponding of water in urban areas.

   Highways, streets and underpasses, as well as other poor drainage areas and low lying spots, additionally country roads and farmlands, along the banks of creeks, streams and other low lying areas are subject to flooding.