State of Emergency declared as tropical storm hits California

California Construction News staff writer

Governor Gavin Newsom expanded a state of emergency to include Mono County on Sunday as Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall, bringing damaging rain and winds that are likely to last through Monday.

Rainfall amounts of three to six inches, with isolated amounts of 10 inches, are expected across portions of Southern California

Also, there are currently more than 7,500 “boots on the ground” deployed to help local communities protect Californians from the impacts of Hurricane Hilary.

“California has thousands of people on the ground working hand-in-hand with federal and local personnel to support communities in Hurricane Hilary’s path with resources, equipment and expertise. We’re mobilizing all of government as we prepare and respond to this unprecedented storm,” Newsom said.

The State Operations Center at the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) are activated and the state is closely monitoring impacts from rain, wind, flash flooding and potential power outages, as well as coordinating across state agencies to provide resources in preparation for other potential impacts. Additionally, the state has activated its Medical and Health Coordination Center to coordinate and monitor response efforts and has issued an alert to all health facilities in the state.

About 2,000 Caltrans maintenance personnel are working 12 hour shifts, 24 hours a day. They are installing pumps in flood-prone areas, such as Pacific Coast Highway/State Route 1 in Orange County, and monitoring burn scars for potential mudslides, especially in northern Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Caltrans Southern California districts are opening emergency operations centers and are coordinating with city and county emergency operations centers as needed.

Additionally, the California Highway Patrol has staffed more than 3,900 officers and other personnel in the region and has prepositioned equipment, activated limited emergency operations centers and has Special Response Teams on alert.

California continues to coordinate with major retailers, including Target, Wal-Mart, Lowe’s, CVS Health and others, as well as grocers to ensure essential supplies are available and emergency contingency plans are activated. Additionally, the state is coordinating with major fuel suppliers, utility providers and telecommunications companies to determine any needs of support to maintain essential services.