LAKE COUNTY – Tuesday's heavy rains were welcomed by many around the county, but the big fall storm also brought with it car crashes, landslides and downed trees.
The National Weather Service predicted between 3 and 7 inches of rain would fall through Wednesday morning. A flash flood watch also was in effect through Wednesday morning for northern Lake County.
Concerns about the storm and its impacts around the state led Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office to direct state departments and agencies to prepare to respond to emergencies.
Caltrans crews were clearing drains and debris and posting warning signs where possible, and officials urged motorists to delay trips when possible and drive very carefully if they are on the road as crews may not have reached a particular area yet.
Cal Fire officials also reported that crews were on standby for emergency response, and had been busy responding to numerous vehicle crashes and downed power lines around the region on Tuesday.
The slippery road conditions led to numerous crashes around the Lake County, according to the California Highway Patrol. Late in the day, one woman's pickup was reported to be partially in the lake at a location along the Northshore.
“The roads are pretty slick out there,” said Northshore Fire Chief Jim Robbins, whose department had responded to some of the accidents reported on Tuesday.
In areas along Highways 20 and 29 loose boulders were reported to be blocking lanes, the CHP reported.
Lake County's Department of Public Works reported that Elk Mountain Road at Soda Creek was closed during the day to all traffic due to a landslide. The road was expected to be reopened by midnight Wednesday morning.
The wet weather also led to some downed trees.
One, in particular, fell on Cobb resident Roger's Kinney's home on Tuesday. Kinney said he wasn't sure of the exact damage caused by the falling tree.
One of the storm's important benefits is replenishing Clear Lake and the county's creeks.
US Geological Survey stream gauges showed dramatic increases in stream volume in many of the areas around Lake County. Clear Lake's level also showed a marked improvement over the course of Tuesday.
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