Board extends local emergency declaration as winter storms damage levees, Van Sickle Island cited as in failure

The Solano County Board of Supervisors voted to confirm continuation of a local emergency that was proclaimed Dec. 27, 2024, in response to the December storms and subsequent weather events that damaged levees and other flood protections, the county's emergency manager reported.

The board approved a resolution confirming the need to continue the local emergency; the meeting recorded the vote as "ordered by vote of 4 0." Robin Raines, identified in the meeting as the countyemergency services manager, told the board that several reclamation districts are the most heavily impacted and that Van Sickle Island is "now in failure" and its sea pile wall was described as "imminently at risk of coming down." (Robin Raines, emergency services manager)

Raines said county staff are coordinating with the state to identify resources to support emergency stop-gap measures and to assess damages for potential state and federal assistance and reimbursement. She described standard levee emergency responses such as deploying plastic sheeting and sandbags over levee crowns but said conditions at Van Sickle exceed those typical stop-gap measures because "the water's just running straight over it." (Robin Raines, emergency services manager)

The county has requested a state of emergency declaration from the governor's office; as of the meeting, Raines said the governor had not declared a state of emergency and county staff were continuing to compile damage assessments and documentation to support that request. The county also reported deploying a California Conservation Corps crew to help make temporary repairs and sandbagging at affected sites.

Ending: The board confirmed continuation of the local emergency, authorized continued coordination with state and federal agencies for emergency and recovery assistance, and asked staff to provide regular updates on damage assessments and funding requests.