Marin Activates Severe Weather Emergency Shelter Ahead Of Major Storm

MARIN COUNTY, CA — Marin County on Tuesday announced it has activated its Severe Weather Emergency Shelter ahead of a powerful atmospheric river-fueled storm that’s expected to arrive in the Bay Area later this week.

Marin Health and Human Services (HHS) with Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco (ECS) will open an overnight shelter at the Marin Health and Wellness Campus at 3240 Kerner Boulevard, San Rafael.

Anyone experiencing homelessness can seek temporary overnight relief at the heated San Rafael location from 5 p.m. Wednesday to 6:30 a.m. Thursday.

The entire Bay Area will be under a flood watch beginning Wednesday due to a heavy storm system expected to be as bad or worse than Saturday's deluge and which will likely result in the loss of human life, according to a dire forecast update from the National Weather Service.

The update issued Monday afternoon includes five key points, with the first one noting a "threat to life likely during this storm." Mudslides are anticipated due to saturated soil, and rapidly rising creeks and streams will pose additional dangers.

A meteorologist shared the following observations in the forecast about the coming storm: "To put it simply, this will likely be one of the most impactful systems on a widespread scale that this meteorologist has seen in a long while.

The impacts will include widespread flooding, roads washing out, hillside collapsing, trees down (potentially full groves), widespread power outages, immediate disruption to commerce, and the worst of all, likely loss of human life. This is truly a brutal system that we are looking at and needs to be taken seriously."

The forecast includes an updated threat matrix it classifies as "extreme risk" for conditions expected Wednesday and Thursday, including increased wind gusts, a flood watch that now includes the entire Bay Area and an added forecast Friday through Sunday after the big storm for roughly 1-2 inches of rain in most areas.

Wednesday through Thursday morning will be the worst of the storm, with heavy rain and strong winds with gusts of 35-55 mph in most areas, with stronger gusts at higher elevations.

A Severe Weather Emergency Shelter is activated when forecasted rainfall is predicted for at least 72 hours with greater than one inch of rain per day.

For more information on future activations and preparing for severe weather visit Marin HHS Emergency Information or call (415) 473-6100.

For more information on shelters in Marin, visit Housing First Marin.