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North Bay residents concerned about heavy rainfall, potential flooding

The risk of heavy rain and wind in the forecast has some Mill Valley residents worried.

More than 3 inches of rainfall submerged the low-lying Sycamore Park neighborhood within three hours on Dec. 27th, the most rain the city had seen over that span of time since 2018.  

Colin Crawford who has a son in the neighborhood, hopes history won't repeat itself.

"I think it's unfortunate. I mean, it was a combination of factors," Crawford said. "I mean, it wasn't just the heavy rain, which was pretty intense. I know we've had rains at that level."

An electrical malfunction at the Sycamore Pump Station, debris buildup and severe weather created the perfect storm for a flood.

But Mark Nuamann, the director of operations and utilities for Mill Valley, said that shouldn't happen again this time.

"The issues, we have tested them under load a few times, and they're resolved," Naumann said.

Numann said the city and county have both taken measures to improve infrastructure in the event of heavy rain like Monday.

The city council is working to improve communication systems like Alert Marin. They're also working to replace pumps at the Sycamore Station and partner with the county for future flood events.

Laine Hendricks, a spokesperson for Marin County, said the city has sandbags and debris crews on standby and a team closely monitoring for mudslides.

"Should something happen, like a mudslide, a tree limb go down, or even a power line be compromised, we often work in tandem with PG&E need to respond to down power lines to make sure once the power line is powered down, and that is remediated safely," Hendricks said.

Crawford said, even if local leaders are prepared, he made his own plans in place to stay safe.

"The council can do so much, but I think it's down to the residents to be as well prepared as they possibly can for events that hopefully will never happen," Crawford said.

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