Local agencies and property owners must prepare for the rainy season The City of Santa Rosa and the County of Sonoma continue to encourage residents living in and around the areas burned by the Sonoma Complex Fires to prepare their property for the rainy season and remain alert for possible threats from intense winter storms. Properties in the areas burned, and downstream of those areas, still have an elevated risk for flash floods, rock falls, debris flows, and mud flows. The areas affected by the Nuns, Tubbs, and Pocket Fires did not experience any significant debris or mudflows over the last two winters. While these areas have seen substantial improvement in soil and plant growth conditions, the threat of natural hazards from winter storms still exist. The highest danger occurs during intense or prolonged heavy rainfall, but once soils are saturated, floods or mud and debris flows can occur hours or days after the rain has stopped. Property owners in burned areas, and downstream of burned areas, can help prepare themselves and prevent erosion and water quality impacts, by following these steps: Take Precautions for your Family Check the Post-Fire Hazard Map for an estimate of the risk in your…

United Policyholders has recently released new and important insurance information that includes things such as “To Dos” before the two year anniversary of the 2017 Northbay Wildfires and a sample letter on extending ALE benefits. Click on the links below to view their helpful information: Please click here to read their 2nd Anniversary Bulletin for 2017 wildfire-impacted households. Click here to read their tips and a sample letter on extending ALE benefits. This link will take you to their brief survey. Recordings of their past live workshops and recent webinars where we answered individual questions are free and online 24/7.

The City of Santa Rosa, CA Public Art Program is seeking Sonoma County artists to exhibit one work of art in response to the 2017 Northern California Wildfires. Deadline to Register is 5:00 p.m. on August 15, 2019. The exhibit will take place at the Person Senior Wing, in the Finley Community Center Complex from September 3 to October 11, 2019. Visit https://srcity.org/744/Art-Exhibitions to download a registration form. Eligibility Registration is FREE and open to Sonoma County residents of all ages and experience levels. Exhibit Location The exhibit will take place at the Person Senior Wing located in the Finley Community Center complex at 2060 West College Avenue, Santa Rosa. Deadline to Register 5:00pm on August 15, 2019 Delivering Entries – Tuesday, September 3, 9am-12pm Reception – Thursday, September 5, 5-7pm Retrieving Entries – October 11, 9am-12pm Register Here

Today, the City of Santa Rosa and the County of Sonoma, together with seven other counties and cities, announced that they and PG&E have accepted a mediator’s proposal of $415 million to resolve the collective cities’ and counties’ North Bay Fires claims. The mediator’s proposal is exclusive of and does not affect the claims of any residents, individuals, or businesses. The collective amount of $415 million will be allocated among each of the nine public entities in an allocation process yet to take place. The payment is to be incorporated into a proposed plan of reorganization to be filed by PG&E in its pending Chapter 11 case. The entire plan of reorganization is subject to confirmation by the Bankruptcy Court. The settlement announced today with respect to the North Bay Fires is part of a total settlement of $1 billion proposed to be paid to local government entities in connection with recent wildfires. Mediator Judge Jay Gandhi (Ret.) presided over several days of in-person mediation sessions held in San Francisco, California. Participants in the various phases of the mediation included 14 public entities with various claims from the 2015 Butte Fire, the 2017 North Bay Fires, and the 2018 Camp…

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today signed an executive order to further assist communities across the state recovering from devastating wildfires in 2017 and 2018. The order extends the state’s prohibition on price gouging for counties recovering from numerous fires, including the Mendocino Complex, Carr, Tubbs, Nuns, Atlas and Thomas fires. The full text of the executive order signed May 31, 2019 can be found here. Information on the resources available to residents impacted by the fires can be found at http://wildfirerecovery.org/.

Daily Acts, a local environmental education nonprofit is finding more ways to support those who were affected by the 2017 North Bay wildfires. With a pilot program focused on the installation of front-yard landscapes, Daily Acts goal is to build community and resilience by mobilizing volunteers to help with the installation of new model sites. Each landscape will demonstrate one of the scalable landscape templates provided by the Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership. Participants in the pilot program, whether as a volunteer or a host site, will gain the knowledge, skills and resources needed to more easily utilize these templates and replicate these landscapes throughout the burned areas. The next year of the rebuild will shape the character and determine the resilience of our fire impacted neighborhoods and communities. One major obstacle is having a completed, permit-approved front yard landscape. From the beginning of the post-fire rebuild, Daily Acts has worked in partnership to help reduce some of these barriers to re-entry, collaborating with the Sonoma County Water Agency, the City of Santa Rosa, and local landscape architects to create scalable landscape design templates. Designed for water, fire, and resource resilience, these templates are free to the public and can be…

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Direct Housing program currently supports more than 100 households within Sonoma County who are displaced as a result of the October 2017 wildfires. The federally implemented program was intended to run for 18 months – concluding on April 10, 2019 – for qualified fire survivors in need of mid-term temporary housing while they searched for alternative long-term housing solutions. However, the regional housing crisis and resulting lack of available, affordable rental units locally and in the region, has left families in the program unable to find long-term housing. Recognizing the critical need for more time, on January 8, 2019, the County and City jointly requested that our state partners in the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CAL OES) submit a request for extension for the Direct Housing Program to FEMA. CAL OES has since made a formal request for extension to FEMA and consideration of that request is currently pending. In the meantime, households enrolled in the program, may receive a 60-day end of program notice from CAL OES. This notice is not a response to our program extension request, which may take several more weeks to receive a decision. While there is no…

A Message from Anne Reynolds, Executive Director California Wildfire and Debris Flow Recovery Program (summary version): The 2017 California wildfire season was exhausting and heartbreaking for affected residents. For months on end, relentless, unprecedented blazes impacted communities across the state, causing tragic losses and forever changing lives. The American Red Cross was there, delivering relief and comfort to thousands of Californians. This vital aid was made possible through the extraordinary generosity of the public and the tireless efforts of thousands of Red Cross volunteers and employees. Together, their contributions provided safe shelter, food, water, and essential relief supplies to people in need, along with health services, and emotional support. As communities repair, rebuild, and recover, the Red Cross has offered its ongoing support. Over the past seven months, the Red Cross  has provided financial assistance to households whose homes experienced major damage or were destroyed. To date, the Red Cross has assisted some 3,700 households with more than $5 million in financial assistance. As the Red Cross nears its financial distribution goal to individuals and families impacted by the 2017 California wildfires, the American Red Cross will no longer accept new inquiries for individual financial assistance after December 31, 2018.…

The City of Santa Rosa and the County of Sonoma encourage residents living in and around the areas burned by the October 2017 wildfires to prepare their property for the rainy season and remain alert for possible threats from intense winter storms. Many properties in the areas burned, and downstream of those areas, now have a higher risk for flash floods, rock falls, debris flows, and mud flows, and will remain so for the next few years. The areas affected by the Nuns, Tubbs and Pocket Fires are seeing substantial improvement in watershed condition as vegetation grows, but the threat of natural hazards still exists. The highest danger occurs during heavy rainfall, but once soils are saturated, floods or mud and debris flows can occur hours or days after the rain has stopped. Property owners in burned areas, and downstream of burned areas, can prevent erosion and stay informed about winter storm warnings by following these steps: Take Precautions for your Family Check the Post-Fire Hazard Map for an estimate of the risk in your vicinity. Localized or changing conditions may result in a greater threat than displayed on the map. Pack emergency supply bags and identify what you’d want…

SANTA ROSA – On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors approved the Recovery and Resiliency Framework which serves as a vision and approach for how Sonoma County will recover and emerge more resilient from the October 2017 wildfires. The Framework was prepared by the County’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency in collaboration with other County departments and agencies, cities and other jurisdictions, nonprofits, and other community stakeholders. “In 2017, a catastrophic wind storm created a regional fire siege that destroyed homes, took lives, and tested our resilience. We have responded in force. Those who lost their homes have led the way, showing true strength and resolve as they manifest the transition from victims, to survivors, to thrivers,” stated James Gore, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. “We as leaders have followed suit, leveraging the urgency of this moment to drive progress on recovery while reaching further and deeper into the need to become the most resilient County in the Nation. This framework and its mandate for action demonstrates that commitment. Whether faced by natural disasters, manmade events, or economic downturns, Sonoma County’s vibrancy in the future will depend upon our ability to stand strong and drive progress in spite of the…