Governor Newsom requests presidential emergency declaration in response to deadly storms

California Construction News staff writer

As winter storms continue to pummel California, Gov. Gavin Newsom submitted a request to the White House on Jan. 8 for a presidential emergency declaration to support ongoing response and recovery efforts.

If approved, the declaration will allow the state to immediately access federal resources and personnel.

Also Sunday, Governor Newsom visited two sites along Deer Creek in Sacramento County to highlight work to repair damage from earlier storms and announced $202 million in new investments for long-term flood prevention proposed in the upcoming state budget.

Since late December, 12 Californians have died from storm-related impacts, including flooding – more than the number of civilians who lost their lives to wildfires in the past two years combined.

“We are in the middle of a deadly barrage of winter storms – and California is using every resource at its disposal to protect lives and limit damage,” Newsom said. “We are taking the threat from these storms seriously and want to make sure that Californians stay vigilant as more storms head our way.”

More than 300 miles of urban and 120 miles of non-urban levees have been improved since 2007 and 88 flood protection projects spanning system wide, urban and rural upgrades were completed since 2016, including crucial improvements to Folsom Dam.

Newsom will propose an additional $202 million in his Jan. 10 budget proposal for new flood investments to protect urban areas, improve levees in the Delta region and support projects in the Central Valley.

A state of emergency continues across California.