Heavy Rains Damage Hwy. 1, But Mill Valley Okay For Now

Despite a few brief breaks, the heavy rain that has dominated the past week's weather returned with force Wednesday evening, bringing with it a flood watch and storm advisory from the National Weather Service.

But while parts of Marin sustained flooding and at least one damaged roadway, Mill Valley has been relatively unscathed, according to police and fire officials, as no weather-related incidents were reported overnight or this morning.

In West Marin, the Shoreline Unified School District canceled classes at Tomales High School, Tomales Elementary School and West Marin, Inverness and Bodega Bay schools due to flood warnings and hazardous road conditions.

West of Mill Valley, a section of Highway 1 in Marin County fell away due to the recent heavy rains, Caltrans officials said. The slip-out is located at post mile 4.80, just west of Green Gulch Farm, and has reduced the highway to one lane in that area, officials said.

Southbound traffic yields to northbound traffic in that location, officials said. A pilot car will be in place to guide traffic while drilling crews take soil samples from the site to design permanent reparations. Drilling crews will begin work Friday at 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. Crews are expected to be on site for about five days, officials said, and the restricted access could cause some delays and commuters are advised to allow for extra time.

The heavy rain and high winds are expected to continue, according to the National Weather Service. with a slight change of thunderstorms Thursday afternoon, which could produce small hail. Showers also are likely Friday.

To stay informed of weather-related incidents like flooding and traffic accidents, sign up for the city of Mill Valley's e-notification system, which sends out alerts for such matters by email. To sign up for the e-notifcation system and choose the categories to receive alerts for, visit the city's website. To date, less than 1,400 people have signed up for the system.

City Hall also maintains a flooding and storm resources page with information about preparing for power outages and where to locate sandbags in the event of a flood. To sign up for the Marin Emergency Automated Notification System, which is reserved for major emergencies, go here.

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.