Newsom sends aid to six storm-hit California counties with emergency declaration
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for five south state counties and Shasta County in the north state as days of rain and wind swept across California, triggering flash flood and landslide threats in burn scars and contributing to three deaths statewide.
The emergency proclamation issued Wednesday enables Newsom to direct state resources to the hardest-hit counties. The governor said he deployed swift water rescue teams, state helicopters, more than 55 fire engines and other first responder teams and equipment across the state.
The proclamation — which includes Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties — also allows local governments to seek federal aid for some weather-damaged road repairs.
At the governor’s direction, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services coordinated with local agencies including the Los Angeles County Fire Department, which on Friday morning reported rescuing more than 100 people during high water incidents during the storms. One helicopter crew hoisted 21 people from stranded vehicles, while another engine team pulled 20 people — along with two deputies and a dog — to safety.
The storm system was slated to peter out over the course of the day Friday, but as of mid-morning scattered precipitation remained in the capital region and much of the state, including snowfall in the Sierra that was leading to chain controls along stretches of Interstate 80 and Highway 50. Bands of moderate to heavy rain continued to cross California early Friday morning, and coastal regions saw more heavy wind, according to the National Weather Service.
Widespread power outages that affected Sacramento and the surrounding area Wednesday and Thursday morning largely appeared to have been managed by Friday, according to area utility companies. The largest outage Friday morning was affecting about 4,400 customers of Liberty Utilities around Tahoe City.
Three deaths have been linked to the storm so far. On Sunday, a man in Redding died in his car after being trapped by floodwaters. Redding has recorded 8.88 inches of rain since Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. On Wednesday, a falling tree struck and killed a man in San Diego, who relatives said had gone out to move a car.
And on Monday, a woman in her 70s was swept off a rock and killed by a large wave at a beach north of Fort Bragg.
In Sacramento, 3.23 inches of rain has fallen at Sacramento International Airport between Sunday and Friday. Elsewhere in the state over the six-day span, 2.17 inches were measured at Los Angeles International Airport, 2.55 inches came down at San Luis Obispo, and 3.59 inches fell in San Francisco. Auburn, in the Sierra foothills, saw 4.91 inches of precipitation.
Ski areas in the northern, central and southern parts of the Sierras reported deep snow accumulation. At Mammoth, in the south, the snow trackers at OpenSnow reported more than 5.5 feet falling over the course of the storm, and resorts in the Tahoe area received between 2 to 5 feet.
The UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab near Truckee reported nearly 49 inches of snow over the past week, including more than 17 inches in the last 24 hours. As of Friday morning, the lab said the region had reached 79% of its median annual snowfall to date, with another 5 to 10 inches possible before the storm tapers off.