Rio Vista Emergency Operations Center activated to Level 3

The City of Rio Vista has activated its Emergency Operations Center to Level 3 in response to recent storms that have dumped rain and brought damaging wind to the region.

It is the lowest level activation of the Emergency Operations Center, a city official said in a public statement on Wednesday.

"The weather patterns that we have been experiencing for the last week are expected to continue," a spokesperson for the city said. "High tides, along with excessive storm run-off, could pose challenges for the city, and impact those in flood-prone areas. Intermittent power outages also pose a unique challenge in Rio Vista."

Like other communities, Rio Vista has experienced numerous power outages attributed to severe weather, as well as flooded roadways that have led to extended closures. On Wednesday, one-way traffic control was conducted on a stretch of Highway 12 northwest of the city while road crews filled in potholes.

The Sacramento River in Rio Vista has moved in and out of the "monitor stage" over the last several days, and is expected to continue doing so, according to a forecast published by the California Nevada River Forecast Center. On Sunday, the river could rise as high as 8.5 feet above surface level, according to the CNRFC model, though it is still well-below the flood stage of 11.9 feet. Over the last five years, the river has not risen higher than 9.8 feet, historic CNRFC data reviewed by Solano NewNet showed.

The activation of the Rio Vista Emergency Operations Center will help city staff focus on a coordinated effort to respond to critical incidents spurred by additional storms, and respond to those events with combined resources and unified messaging for residents and businesses there.