RANCHO MURIETA, CA (MPG) - Rancho Murieta residents received an early look at Sacramento County’s new Jackson Highway Resilience Study during two sparsely attended workshops held Nov. 17 and Nov. 18 at Rancho Murieta Community Church. The meetings marked the first of three planned public sessions for a project that began in August and is scheduled to run through December 2026.

Funded by a Caltrans planning grant, the study is examining the vulnerabilities of Jackson Highway in the event of an evacuation during a fire, flood or other disaster. The study area extends from Grant Line Road to Ione Road. Officials said the goal is to take a data-driven approach now so the county can pursue construction dollars later.

“This is about building a well-developed, defensible plan that positions us for future funding,” said Gary Gasperi, senior engineer with the Sacramento County Department of Transportation, who led the overview.

Project Scope

Gasperi outlined the steps that will guide the study over the next two years. Although planning grants require extensive data collection and verification, the team expects to deliver a final plan to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors by January 2027. Work includes evaluating existing conditions, identifying system weaknesses and developing options to improve resilience.

Gasperi noted several known challenges, including the 2023 New Year’s Eve flooding, low-lying areas along Jackson Highway, and culverts and crossings that may not be sized for changing storm patterns.

Survey Results

Consultant Travis Shappell of Resilient Communities presented findings from an initial survey with more than 230 responses. Most participants have lived in Rancho Murieta for a decade or longer, own their homes and typically live in two-person households. Many reported strong neighborhood cohesion: residents know one another, check on one another and are aware of vulnerable neighbors.

“People here care deeply about each other,” Shappell said. “That’s a major strength as we look at how a community can respond to disaster.”

But the survey also revealed gaps in emergency preparedness. Most respondents do not have an emergency plan, a complete disaster kit or evacuation supplies in their vehicles. Few have ever taken part in a drill. Many also said they were unsure where to find clear preparedness information.

Isolation remained the dominant concern. Wildfire topped the list of specific hazards, followed by flooding, drought, earthquake, smoke, extreme heat and impacts to the local ecosystem.

Despite the challenges, Shappell said residents expressed a strong willingness to become better prepared once given guidance.

Flood Risk

Consultant Joseph Albani of Sherwood Design Engineers walked the audience through the existing conditions related to flood and wildfire risks.

“For us, the goal is to understand exactly how water and fire behave in this landscape so we can plan for what really happens, not what we assume happens,” Albani told attendees.

For flooding, Albani collaborated with the Department of Water Resources on Cosumnes River modeling and added analysis of the Deer Creek watershed. Using the Army Corps’ HEC-RAS model, his team studied how culverts, bridges and roadway low points respond during storm events.

The results showed that Scott Road and Kiefer Boulevard are among the first roadways to flood and become impassable. Jackson Road and Dillard Road begin to flood around a 25-year storm event. Nevertheless, the Jackson Highway remains the most resilient route, although it has two critical weak spots.

Wildfire Risk

Albani said wildfire modeling involved Sacramento County OES, Metro Fire and CAL FIRE. He said about 60% of local fires are human-caused, driven mostly by arson, fireworks and equipment use.

Prevailing south-southwest winds typically push grassland fires toward the community. But rare north-wind events could create fast-moving, highly dangerous fire behavior and drastically shorten evacuation times. Three preliminary models of north-wind fires showed flames reaching homes within 1.5 to 2.5 hours, with a third scenario bypassing the community to the west.

“Models show that spot fires (embers landing ahead of the main fire) are a major factor,” the accompanying slide said. “This highlights the critical need to manage vegetation and tree canopies within and beyond the community to reduce the chance of wildfire spread, and structure-to-structure spread.”

Community Input

Shappell closed the meeting by outlining the engagement process moving forward. In addition to the initial survey, the project team will host two more in-person workshops in early 2026: one focused on infrastructure needs and another to review the draft implementation and feasibility plan. Outreach will continue through River Valley Times, social media and email notifications.

“We’re here to listen,” Shappell said. “The plan is only as strong as the community input behind it.”

Breakout tables at the November meeting asked residents to react to existing conditions, survey findings, resilience goals, and fire and flood scenarios. Shappell said the team is committed to adapting sessions to group size, incorporating community feedback and working closely with disaster-and-recovery partners.

“We want people to stay involved, respond to outreach and help shape the final plan,” he said.

With the project running through 2026, officials say continued participation will be essential as the county works to address the region’s most pressing natural-hazard risks.