When disaster strikes in Sonoma County (Gallery)

In Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino counties, Mother Nature can bring us great joy - and she can make us suffer.|

In Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino counties, Mother Nature can bring us great joy - and she can make us suffer. Earthquakes, floods and fires are just some of the hazards we accept and prepare for when, by far, most of the time we have beautiful sunny skies and temperate weather.

Last week’s brutal storms flooded river communities, raising the Russian River to 38 feet, its highest mark since 2006, when it rose to 42 feet during New Year’s storms. Among the photos of hardy Guerneville residents canoing down flooded streets were images of the dramatic after-effects of winter storms and homes destroyed by fallen trees.

There are many places in the archives that reflect similar disasters through history - homes and thoroughfares ripped apart by disasters. The photos are dramatic, the perseverance of the residents afterwards heroic. In many cases, it was only a home lost - in others, a life.

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