On Tuesday, the Marin County Board of Supervisors reorganized their leadership structure for 2026 and affirmed a countywide emergency proclamation to address damage from recent flooding.
Supervisor Eric Lucan will be the new president of the Board of Supervisors, Supervisor Stephanie Moulton-Peters will serve as vice president and Supervisor Brian Colbert will serve as second vice president.
“This year, my priorities are keeping our community housed, supporting small businesses and the rural economy, investing in community infrastructure, protecting health and safety for our communities, leading on environmental stewardship and climate resilience,” said Lucan. “The New Year is a chance to recommit to one another, to our shared values, and to the future we’re building together across Marin.”
In a second unanimous vote, the board then approved an emergency proclamation that will allow the county to request assistance from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to offset the costs of repairs.
From Dec. 18 to Jan. 6, Marin County received 10 to 15 inches of rain, with king tides peaking about 2.5 feet above normal.
The convergence of a severe storm system, precipitation-driven surface runoff, storm surge, high winds and record king tides caused widespread coastal and inland flooding with some levee failures. Impacts included the inundation of structures, road closures, utility disruption, landslides, the release of hazardous materials and the displacement of residents.
“Our preliminary estimate for the unincorporated area is approaching about $3.5 million,” said County Executive Derek Johnson. “Our major cost drivers are levees, roads and bridges, impacts and damage to parks and recreation facilities. We had some emergency protective measures, some debris removal and some overtime labor. Why is this local emergency necessary? Essentially, the scale, duration and the geographic extent impacted the county’s ability to respond.”
Examining communications problems
Johnson said there will be another review by the county on Monday that will look at the communications aspect of the storm, specifically with the National Weather Service.
“Why did the actual tides exceed all forecasts?” he asked, adding that there needs to be an assessment of what happened with communications around road closures.
“Many jurisdictions sent out notifications through their traditional channels,” said county director of emergency management Steven Torrence. “But if you were traveling from the northern portion of the county to the southern portion of the county, those localized notifications don’t hit every single person. So, we are looking at multiple areas for improvement to make sure that the public is aware of these incidents well before they occur.”
“… (W)e are looking at multiple areas for improvement to make sure that the public is aware of these incidents well before they occur.”
Steven Torrence, county director of emergency management
The board accepted a recommendation by Torrence to bring the emergency proclamation back for a second ratification in 60 days, so a broader assessment of damage can be included.
The preliminary $3.5 million estimate included $2.6 million in levee damage in Santa Venetia, $300,000 in road and bridge damage, $420,000 in losses to parks and $96,000 in debris removal and emergency response costs.
“From there, we will continue to work with the federal government to see what is eligible for disaster cost recovery,” said Torrence. “In the event that the federal administration does not approve, we also have a secondary road to work with the state of California with the California Disaster Assistance Act.”