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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Northern and Central California are bracing for a significant storm set to hit on Wednesday and Thursday, bringing with it a large amount of rain.
The National Weather Service said a very powerful Pacific cyclone “is rapidly strengthening and heading closer to the West Coast.”
The storm will bring “heavy rain and flooding, strong to damaging winds, very large surf, isolated strong thunderstorms and heavy, high elevation snow,” according to the forecast.
The forecast calls for up to 6.5 inches of rain this week, 4 inches of it on Wednesday and Thursday alone.
The intense rainfall in the forecast is expected to be associated with a moderate to strong atmospheric river, the National Weather Service said.
This follows a wet week in Lake County that also brought several inches of rain, leading to saturated soils and concerns for flooding.
The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for southern Lake County that’s in effect from late Tuesday through Thursday afternoon.
The agency also has issued a wind advisory that runs from 7 a.m. Wednesday to 10 a.m. Thursday for both the southern and northern area of Lake County due to southeast winds of between 25 to 35 miles per hour and the potential for gusts of up to 60 miles per hour.
During the Lakeport City Council meeting on Tuesday evening, city staff gave the council an update on the outlook for this week as they prepared to respond to the storm.
Lakeport’s city staff and other local officials participated with the county of Lake, the National Weather Service, Pacific Gas and Electric and Mediacom in a county Office of Emergency Services meeting on Tuesday to plan for the situation.
Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen said the storm is expected to hit at about 4 a.m. Wednesday.
He said his department and city staff were preparing to respond.
Public Works Director Ron Ladd said the city will have extra crews on call, and they’ve already positioned generators at city facilities and readied other equipment — from wood chippers to barricades — in preparation for the large amount of rain and high winds in the forecast.
Ladd said he’s also met with Public Works staff and they’re ready to handle the storm situation.
“I feel like we’re as prepared as we can be,” Ladd said.
Lakeport City Manager Kevin Ingram said it’s highly likely there will be high water in flood-prone areas due to the storm.
He urged people to be careful on Wednesday.
Pacific Gas and Electric said Tuesday night that it has more than 3,000 of its employees, and contract and mutual aid personnel mobilized to respond to the storm.
Those preparations are in place following work to restore nearly of its 500,000 customers who lost power during the strong New Year’s Eve storm last Saturday, PG&E said.
The company said that poised to respond to outages are approximately 360 four-person electric crews, 397 troublemen, distribution line technicians and system inspectors who serve as the utility’s first responders and another 800 personnel who will monitor electric incidents for public safety.
Hundreds of PG&E employees also are serving in roles in the company’s emergency operations center as well as in regional and divisional emergency centers. Approximately 250 vegetation-management personnel also are at the ready.
PG&E said it is currently being supported by 16 crews from Southern California Edison and has requested mutual-aid assistance from additional West Coast power providers.
The company said its customers can view real-time outage information at PG&E’s online outage center and search by a specific address, by city or by county. This site has been updated to include support in 16 languages.
PG&E customers also can sign up for outage notifications by text, email, or phone. PG&E will let customers know the cause of an outage, when crews are on their way, the estimated restoration time and when power has been restored.
Community members are offered the following storm safety tips:
Never touch downed wires: If you see a downed power line, assume it is energized and extremely dangerous. Do not touch or try to move it — and keep children and animals away. Report downed power lines immediately by calling 9-1-1 and then PG&E at 1-800-743-5002.
Use generators safely: Customers with standby electric generators should ensure they are properly installed by a licensed electrician in a well-ventilated area. Improperly installed generators pose a significant danger to customers, as well as crews working on power lines. If using portable generators, be sure they are in a well-ventilated area.
Use flashlights, not candles: During a power outage, use battery-operated flashlights and not candles, due to the risk of fire. And keep extra batteries on hand. If you must use candles, please keep them away from drapes, lampshades, animals and small children. Do not leave candles unattended.
Have a backup phone: If you have a telephone system that requires electricity to work, such as a cordless phone or answering machine, plan to have a standard telephone or cellular phone ready as a backup. Having a portable charging device helps to keep your cellphone running.
Have fresh drinking water and ice: Freeze plastic containers filled with water to make blocks of ice that can be placed in your refrigerator/freezer to prevent food spoilage.
Turn off appliances: If you experience an outage, unplug or turn off all electrical appliances to avoid overloading circuits and to prevent fire hazards when power is restored. Simply leave a single lamp on to alert you when power returns.
Safely clean up: After the storm has passed, be sure to safely clean up. Never touch downed wires and always call 8-1-1 or visit 811express.com at least two full business days before digging to have all underground utilities safely marked.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The East Region Town Hall, or ERTH, meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 4, has been canceled.
ERTH issued its agenda on the afternoon of Sunday, Jan. 1, which was more than the required 72-hour notice.
However, just after 2:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, County Administrative Office staff informed ERTH in an email that the meeting didn’t meet the Brown Act posting requirements.
While ERTH distributed the agenda to the community and posted it online, the issue appears to have been related to the county’s offices being closed until Tuesday because of the New Year’s holiday.
As a result, the agenda reportedly was not posted at the courthouse within the required timeframe. It was, however, found on the ERTH webpage on the county website.
After that email from the county, ERTH Board member Pamela Kicenski said in a followup email that the group would still hold an informational meeting.
However, later in the afternoon, Kicenski said the meeting was canceled “due to lack of proper noticing because of the holidays.”
She said the next meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1, at the Clearlake Oaks Moose Lodge.
ERTH members also were told on Tuesday that all five of the board members needed to reapply for new terms.
Similarly, County Administrative Office staff told the Lucerne Area Town Hall, or LATH, that all five of its members also needed to reapply for new terms.
That’s despite all of the Northshore town halls — ERTH, LATH and the Western Region Town Hall — having staggered terms for board members, as established in their bylaws, to avoid having all of them reappointed at the same time.
A county spreadsheet of local appointments shows the staggered terms for ERTH and WRTH, but not for LATH.
The spreadsheet shows as last being updated in September, the month before the Board of Supervisors approved the newest version of the LATH bylaws, however both the current and previous LATH bylaws explicitly dictate staggered terms.
The County Administrative Office reported on Tuesday that at that point only Kicenski had applied for reappointment to ERTH.
The Board of Supervisors is set to consider a number of appointments to county boards, committees and commissions on Jan. 10, its first meeting of the new year.
Email Elizabeth Larson atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
ERTH issued its agenda on the afternoon of Sunday, Jan. 1, which was more than the required 72-hour notice.
However, just after 2:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, County Administrative Office staff informed ERTH in an email that the meeting didn’t meet the Brown Act posting requirements.
While ERTH distributed the agenda to the community and posted it online, the issue appears to have been related to the county’s offices being closed until Tuesday because of the New Year’s holiday.
As a result, the agenda reportedly was not posted at the courthouse within the required timeframe. It was, however, found on the ERTH webpage on the county website.
After that email from the county, ERTH Board member Pamela Kicenski said in a followup email that the group would still hold an informational meeting.
However, later in the afternoon, Kicenski said the meeting was canceled “due to lack of proper noticing because of the holidays.”
She said the next meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1, at the Clearlake Oaks Moose Lodge.
ERTH members also were told on Tuesday that all five of the board members needed to reapply for new terms.
Similarly, County Administrative Office staff told the Lucerne Area Town Hall, or LATH, that all five of its members also needed to reapply for new terms.
That’s despite all of the Northshore town halls — ERTH, LATH and the Western Region Town Hall — having staggered terms for board members, as established in their bylaws, to avoid having all of them reappointed at the same time.
A county spreadsheet of local appointments shows the staggered terms for ERTH and WRTH, but not for LATH.
The spreadsheet shows as last being updated in September, the month before the Board of Supervisors approved the newest version of the LATH bylaws, however both the current and previous LATH bylaws explicitly dictate staggered terms.
The County Administrative Office reported on Tuesday that at that point only Kicenski had applied for reappointment to ERTH.
The Board of Supervisors is set to consider a number of appointments to county boards, committees and commissions on Jan. 10, its first meeting of the new year.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
State Controller Malia M. Cohen was sworn in Monday, Jan. 2, as California’s chief fiscal officer.
The oath of office was administered by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“I am proud and honored to serve as California’s state controller,” said Cohen. “The work to create a more equitable California has already begun. I look forward to ensuring fiscal accountability, with an eye toward transparency and innovation.”
Cohen was elected in November 2022, following her service on the California Board of Equalization, or BOE.
She is the first Black woman to serve as California’s state controller.
She was elected to the BOE in November 2018 and was Chair in 2019 and 2022.
As controller, she continues to serve the board as its fifth voting member.
Before being elected to the BOE, Cohen served as president of the Board of Supervisors of the city and county of San Francisco.
As a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, she served as the chair of the Budget and Finance Committee and president of the San Francisco Employees’ Retirement System.
Cohen was born and raised in San Francisco and proudly attended public school. She received her bachelor’s degree in political science from Fisk University and a master’s degree in public policy and management from Carnegie Mellon University.
She and her husband reside in San Francisco along with their daughter.
As the chief fiscal officer of California, Cohen is responsible for accountability and disbursement of the state’s financial resources.
The controller has independent auditing authority over government agencies that spend state funds.
She is a member of numerous financing authorities, and fiscal and financial oversight entities including the Franchise Tax Board. She also serves on the boards for the nation’s two largest public pension funds.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — California is heading into the new year with a deep snowpack thanks to recent storms.
The Department of Water Resources, or DWR, on Tuesday conducted the first snow survey of the season at Phillips Station.
The manual survey recorded 55.5 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 17.5 inches, which is 177% of average for this location.
The snow water equivalent measures the amount of water contained in the snowpack and is a key component of DWR’s water supply forecast.
Statewide the snowpack is 174% of average for this date.
California is expected to see continued rain and snow over the next seven days, with the threat of flooding in parts of California.
Conditions so far this season have proven to be strikingly similar to last year when California saw some early rainstorms and strong December snow totals only to have the driest January through March on record.
“The significant Sierra snowpack is good news but unfortunately these same storms are bringing flooding to parts of California,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “This is a prime example of the threat of extreme flooding during a prolonged drought as California experiences more swings between wet and dry periods brought on by our changing climate.”
One year ago, the Phillips survey showed the seventh highest January measurements on record for that location.
However, those results were followed by three months of extremely dry conditions and by April 1 of last year, the Phillips survey measurements were the third lowest on record.
More telling than a survey at a single location are DWR’s electronic readings from 130 stations placed throughout the state.
Measurements indicate that statewide, the snowpack’s snow water equivalent is 17.1 inches, or 174% of average for this date.
This January’s results are similar to results in 2013 and 2022 when the Jan. 1 snowpack was at or above average conditions, only for dry weather to set in and lead to drought conditions by the end of the water year (Sept. 30).
In 2013, the first snow survey of the season also provided promising results after a wet December similar to today’s results.
However, the following January and February were exceptionally dry, and the water year ended as the driest on record, contributing to a record-breaking drought. In 2022, record-breaking December snowfall was again followed by the driest January through March period on record.
“Big snow totals are always welcome, but we still have a long way to go before the critical April 1 total,” said DWR’s Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit Manager Sean de Guzman. “It’s always great to be above average this early in the season, but we must be resilient and remember what happened last year. If January through March of 2023 turn out to be similar to last year, we would still end the water year in severe drought with only half of an average year's snowpack.”
On average, the Sierra snowpack supplies about 30% of California’s water needs and is an important factor in determining how DWR manages the state’s water resources.
Its natural ability to store water is why the Sierra snowpack is often referred to as California's “frozen reservoir.” A below-average snowpack impacts water users across the state, putting further stress on the environment and critical groundwater supplies.
Current climate research indicates the state will see bigger swings from extreme heat and dry conditions to larger and more powerful storms that deliver temporary large boosts to the state snowpack as well as flood risk.
DWR conducts five snow surveys at Phillips Station each winter near the first of each month, January through April and, if necessary, May.
The next survey is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 1.
LAKEPORT, Calif. — There is officially a new sheriff in Lake County.
Registrar Maria Valadez administered the oath to Howe as colleagues, family and friends — including his predecessor, Brian Martin, who retired as sheriff on Dec. 30 — looked on.
Martin and Howe embraced after the swearing-in.
Sheriff’s staff have welcomed Howe to the job, saying they’re excited to have him back in an agency which he once helped lead.
In October, after having won a third term unopposed in the June primary, Martin announced he was retiring at year’s end.
The Board of Supervisors appointed Howe as sheriff on Dec. 20 to fill a portion of Martin’s third term.
The law requires that an appointee fill the post until the next general election, when voters will choose the new sheriff.
Howe will serve until January of 2025, at which point the new sheriff elected in the fall of 2024 will take over.
A Lake County native, Howe served 19 years with the sheriff’s office, reaching the rank of captain and chief of staff under then-Sheriff Rod Mitchell. He left the agency in the fall of 2011 and took over the Lake County Probation Department in March 2012 as chief probation officer.
One of the reasons the board cited for selecting Howe is that he said he does not intend to run for sheriff in 2024, which will allow him to focus on running the agency rather than a campaign.
In the two-day gap between Martin’s official retirement date and Howe’s swearing-in, Capt. Chris Chwialkowski, the second highest ranking member of the sheriff’s office after Martin, was appointed by the supervisors to fill the sheriff’s job.
The law required that Howe be sworn in by noon on Monday, County Counsel Anita Grant told the board at the Dec. 20 meeting.
While Howe’s official swearing-in was Monday, he and elected department heads, including supervisors, the assessor-recorder, treasurer-tax collector and county clerk/auditor-controller, also will take their oaths of office at the start of the Board of Supervisors’ first meeting of the year on Tuesday, Jan. 10.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — The Clearlake City Council will start off the year with a discussion on the contract for the new police chief and a variety of appointments.
The council will meet beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 5, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
The meeting will be broadcast live on the city's YouTube channel or the Lake County PEGTV YouTube Channel. Community members also can participate via Zoom or can attend in person.
The agenda can be found here.
Comments and questions can be submitted in writing for City Council consideration by sending them to City Clerk Melissa Swanson atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
To give the council adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit your written comments before 4 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 5.
Each public comment emailed to the city clerk will be read aloud by the mayor or a member of staff for up to three minutes or will be displayed on a screen. Public comment emails and town hall public comment submissions that are received after the beginning of the meeting will not be included in the record.
Thursday’s meeting will include several presentations.
The first will be for a proclamation in remembrance of retired Judge Richard Freeborn, who died Sept. 30.
The council also will hold a presentation to city employees and volunteers in recognition of their service, offer a proclamation declaring January 2023 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month and get an update on recreation and events.
Council business on Thursday will include consideration of an employment services agreement with Timothy Hobbs for the police chief job.
Hobbs was appointed interim chief after the departure last month of Chief Andrew White, who is starting his new job this week as police chief of the Bay Area city of Martinez.
Also on Thursday, the council will hold two public hearings.
The first is for the second reading for the acceptance and implementation of the 2022 California Building Standard Codes, and adopting by reference the 2021 Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa/Hot Tub Codes; 2021 Uniform Solar, Hydronics & Geothermal Codes; 2021 International Building Codes; 2021 International Residential Codes and the 2021 International Fire Codes.
The second hearing will be to consider Resolution 2023-03 authorizing the extension of the temporary closure of certain roads, to reduce illegal dumping and to protect the environment, and the public health and welfare.
The council also will consider mayor appointments as well as appointments of its members as representatives to the CalCities Redwood Empire Division, to represent the city and vote at the Division Legislative Committee meetings.
On the meeting's consent agenda – items that are not considered controversial and are usually adopted on a single vote – are warrant registers; authorization for an agreement in the amount of $43,500 with American Ramp Co. for design services for the Austin Skate Park Project; and an amendment to the Management Benefit Plan Section 6-2.5 Executive Leave Account to establish consistency to executive leave banks for management employees; Resolution No. 2023-04.
After the open portion of the meeting, the council will hold a closed session to discuss a potential case of litigation and to hold a conference with legal counsel regarding a case, City of Clearlake v. Testate & Intestate Successors of Bailey Lumbers Co., et al., Case No. CV421697, Lake County Superior Court.
Email Elizabeth Larson atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
The council will meet beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 5, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
The meeting will be broadcast live on the city's YouTube channel or the Lake County PEGTV YouTube Channel. Community members also can participate via Zoom or can attend in person.
The agenda can be found here.
Comments and questions can be submitted in writing for City Council consideration by sending them to City Clerk Melissa Swanson at
To give the council adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit your written comments before 4 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 5.
Each public comment emailed to the city clerk will be read aloud by the mayor or a member of staff for up to three minutes or will be displayed on a screen. Public comment emails and town hall public comment submissions that are received after the beginning of the meeting will not be included in the record.
Thursday’s meeting will include several presentations.
The first will be for a proclamation in remembrance of retired Judge Richard Freeborn, who died Sept. 30.
The council also will hold a presentation to city employees and volunteers in recognition of their service, offer a proclamation declaring January 2023 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month and get an update on recreation and events.
Council business on Thursday will include consideration of an employment services agreement with Timothy Hobbs for the police chief job.
Hobbs was appointed interim chief after the departure last month of Chief Andrew White, who is starting his new job this week as police chief of the Bay Area city of Martinez.
Also on Thursday, the council will hold two public hearings.
The first is for the second reading for the acceptance and implementation of the 2022 California Building Standard Codes, and adopting by reference the 2021 Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa/Hot Tub Codes; 2021 Uniform Solar, Hydronics & Geothermal Codes; 2021 International Building Codes; 2021 International Residential Codes and the 2021 International Fire Codes.
The second hearing will be to consider Resolution 2023-03 authorizing the extension of the temporary closure of certain roads, to reduce illegal dumping and to protect the environment, and the public health and welfare.
The council also will consider mayor appointments as well as appointments of its members as representatives to the CalCities Redwood Empire Division, to represent the city and vote at the Division Legislative Committee meetings.
On the meeting's consent agenda – items that are not considered controversial and are usually adopted on a single vote – are warrant registers; authorization for an agreement in the amount of $43,500 with American Ramp Co. for design services for the Austin Skate Park Project; and an amendment to the Management Benefit Plan Section 6-2.5 Executive Leave Account to establish consistency to executive leave banks for management employees; Resolution No. 2023-04.
After the open portion of the meeting, the council will hold a closed session to discuss a potential case of litigation and to hold a conference with legal counsel regarding a case, City of Clearlake v. Testate & Intestate Successors of Bailey Lumbers Co., et al., Case No. CV421697, Lake County Superior Court.
Email Elizabeth Larson at