Updated: 12 p.m. Dec. 10, 2021
In February 1986, a historic flood devastated the North Bay, bringing a torrent of rain that exceeded half of many cities’ average annual rainfall over the storm’s 10-day rampage. Thirteen people died statewide, and more than 50,000 Californians were evacuated from their homes, according to a NOAA report.
Brant Ward/The Chronicle
The storm dominated The Chronicle’s front page as extreme weather pummeled the region starting Feb. 12. By Friday, Feb. 14, residents of about 400 Sonoma County homes were evacuated by boat after the Petaluma River poured over its banks.
The Russian River flooded several times over the course of the storm, rising almost 50 feet. Hundreds of residents were “plucked” by helicopter from a rescue center threatened by the river’s flood, and nearly 1,000 people were unable to return to their homes in Guerneville for nearly a week after waters isolated the town. In the aftermath, about 150 homes were declared uninhabitable due to damage caused by the storm.
Brant Ward / The Chronicle
Brant Ward/The Chronicle
Brant Ward/The Chronicle
John O’Hara/The Chronicle
Across the region, cities and towns were inundated. By the end of the storm, 12 Northern California counties had made disaster declarations, and statewide almost 14,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. In total, the storm cost California about $400 million in damages, according to reports.
Brant Ward/The Chronicle
Brant Ward/The Chronicle
Brant Ward/The Chronicle
The Bay Area is bracing for another storm system that will bring several days of rain to the parched region. Up to 2 inches of rain is expected in urban areas – producing significant rainfall for the first time in weeks – but the total impact likely won’t compare to the storm of February 1986.
Brant Ward/The Chronicle
Text by Vanessa Arredondo
Editing by Sarah Feldberg
Photography from The Chronicle archive
