This story, continuing the Bee’s coverage of Sacramento flooding, went from speculation to reality over the holidays and we suddenly realize, as if we needed another reminder, that we are even less prepared than before. The fact that funds were reduced for flood control after the 1997 floods is astounding.
Here is an excerpt.
"The fusillade of storms that shot through the north state finally went silent Tuesday, leaving state water officials relieved this time around, but deeply worried that they'll be stretched too thin for the monster storm that will strike one day.
"The state's flood-fighting division hasn't fully rebounded from budget cuts that stripped it of a third of its staff since the major floods of 1997.
"While it handled these storms well, "we do not have trained staff and other resources needed for a much larger event, such as 1997 and 1986," said Jay Punia, flood operations branch chief of the state Department of Water Resources.
"The department has preliminarily pegged the Dec. 31 to Jan. 2 series of storms over the American River watershed as somewhere between a 10-and 20-year storm, said Arthur Hinojosa, chief of the department's hydrology branch.
"It was not a big storm at all, and you saw what it did to our system. We handled this one OK, but there were problems all over place," he said. "It is very intimidating. We need to improve this system."
"By comparison, the storm that parked over the Russian and Napa river watersheds, causing widespread flooding in both areas, could well turn out to be a 100-year storm, one with only a 1 percent shot of striking in any given year, Hinojosa added.
"He doesn't even want to think about what a 100-year storm would do to the Central Valley.
For exhausted emergency crews, those who helplessly watched creeks rise into their homes, and those who escaped flooding, this one was rough enough.
"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger broadened his emergency declarations Tuesday to include a total of 23 counties, and his Office of Emergency Services said damages are likely to reach at least $100 million.
"During the storms, state engineers and flood specialists responded to more than 40 calls for help with troubled levees, two dozen in the Delta where several islands and small communities were briefly evacuated."
