Damage from Winter Rains Estimated at $6 Million So Far, Shasta County Sheriff Says

2.19.25: We have updated the story to provide a direct email and phone number for residents to use when contacting Shasta County about flooding damage.

Rain in recent days, compounded by releases from the Shasta Reservoir that were needed to manage heavy inflows from the foothills, have created damaging flood conditions across parts of Shasta County. During the first six days of February alone, even as rains slowed, the Shasta Reservoir rose by 22 feet as water flowed in from surrounding elevations.

On Tuesday, February 11, the Shasta County Board of Supervisors voted to formalize a declaration of emergency due to the recent winter storms. During a presentation to the Board, Shasta County Sheriff Michael Johnson estimated the cost of damages from the flooding caused by recent rain and water releases at about $6 million so far. The majority of those expenses, about $5 million the Sheriff said, relate to a single Redding boat ramp off South Bonnyview. 

It’s a site that’s critically important, Johnson explained, because it’s used by Sheriff’s Office staff during deployments for deep water rescues. As repairs pend, he told Supervisors, the City has “filled in an area with boulders and gravel and rock to make it accessible to us, at least for emergency services.” 

The Anderson Cottonwood Irrigation District, which straddles parts of both Shasta and Tehama, is also facing major flood damage, most significantly to a portion of the ACID Canal which was recently lined. As Supervisor Chris Kelstrom noted during the Sheriff’s report, that newly-installed lining unexpectedly floated to the surface during recent flooding. The repair for that part of the Canal is estimated at half a million, Johnson told the Board. 

Other areas of damage include a portion of road near Rainbow Lake in western Shasta County, which has collapsed. Repairs there are estimated at about $215,000 so far, according to the Sheriff. He said Shasta County’s Public Works department has already brought in about $60,000 in equipment and sandbags to prevent the damage from worsening.

“That’s not even infrastructure damages yet,” the Sheriff continued. “So that number is going to go way way up.”

Johnson also mentioned damage to two locations in the City of Shasta Lake including the County’s Health and Human Services Agency building and Lake Boulevard itself. An estimate on the cost of that damage, he said, was forthcoming. In Anderson, the City faces between $50-$100,000 in repairs for various locations in Anderson River Park as well as costs to repair damage to wastewater management sites, estimated at about $100,000.

The County’s decision to declare a state of emergency is related to funding. The declaration creates a pathway for California to provide financial assistance to help mitigate local damage wrought by “natural, manmade, or war-caused emergencies.” 

If the emergency is particularly catastrophic, as with recent fires in Los Angeles, the Governor’s decision to sign off on a state-level emergency opens the door for the state to request a federal disaster declaration, at which point Federal agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) can intervene. 

Locals experiencing the damaging effects of flooding can reach out to Shasta County by emailing dwarren@shastacounty.gov or calling 530-245-6095. Those contacting the County should provide their name, address, and a brief description of the damage with photos. From there the County may direct individuals to the Red Cross for housing assistance.

“We can collect that information, and that’ll get put in with the state (emergency declaration) to identify all the damages that we’ve had, and then we submit… that for the potential reimbursement for loss,” said Lieutenant Rob Sandbloom of the Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services.

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