Rain, rain not going away

Badly needed rain continues to pound the Glenn County area and forecasters do not expect things to dry up any time soon, authorities reported.

"It's slowing down our work some, but we need all we can get, so I say bring it on," said Tim Danley, a Willows farmer.

Strong showers, coupled with stiff winds are predicted through Saturday night, according to the National Weather Service in Sacramento.

Long rain storms are predicted today and tomorrow with high winds around 40 to 50 mph both days. Rains are expected to spike during the middle of the week and may taper off towards the weekend.

The storms had not caused any major road problems in Glenn County as of Tuesday afternoon, according to Glenn County Public Works Director John Linhart.

"We've had reports in our standard low spots of some minor localized flooding, but no major problems so far," Linhart said.

Linhart said county residents should contact the public works department before traveling this week.

"We are the single point of contact in non-emergency situations," Linhart said. "We can give updates over the phone or people can log on to our Web site for the latest conditions."

Danley, 17, works on his family's farm and said the last few years of drought have been rough on all farmers. The

weather put a welcome work delay on Danley's work day on his family farm, but others were not as enthusiastic.

"Normally I like the rain," said Elizabeth Bianchini of Willows. "But, with this wind, not so much this week."

Binachini, 18, said the rain would likely keep her inside throughout the week.

"I'll probably just watch movies," Bianchini said, "I should do my homework, but we'll see."

Orland's Gene Clark, however, said he is very happy with this week's weather and hopes to see buckets of rain in the near future.

"It's funny, rain's one of those things that you ask and ask for and then it's here and people complain," Clark said.

Clark said he plans to stay dry inside his warm under the new roof of his Papst Street home, which was replaced just last year.

"So, at least we had better stay dry," Clark said.

ROAD CLOSURES

The following Glenn County Roads have been closed due to water and or debris across them. Please drive cautiously.
•    County Road FF from Co. Rd. 9 to Co. Rd. 200
•    County Road G from Co. Rd. 9 to Co. Rd. 200
•    County Road 25 from Co. Rd. H to Co. Rd. F
•    County Road 35 from Co. Rd. 99 to Co. Rd. H
•    County Road 35 from Co. Rd. H to Co. Rd. D
•    County Road D from Co. Rd. 68 to Co. Rd. 69
•    County Road 99 from Co. Rd. 39 to Co. Rd. 48

Glenn County road updates:
Phone: 530 934-6545
Web address: gcppwa.net/announcements.aspx

Source: Glenn County Planning and Public Works Department

TIPS ON WEATHER

Secure items that are outside your house that may easily fly away during periods of high winds – lawn furniture, garbage cans, etc.
Bring your pets indoors; remember storms are hard on animals too.
Prepare for potential power outages. Make sure you have a flashlight handy with batteries that work, matches, candles, cell phone with a charged battery, ready-to-eat non-perishable foods, bottled water, blankets, battery-powered radio and a full tank of gas in your car.
If you have a baby or pets in your household, have additional food and supplies for their special needs.
Source: Tehama County Health Service Agency