Assistance provided for eastern Coachella Valley residents affected by continuous power outage

Assistance is being provided Friday to those in the North Shore community and surrounding areas following a continuous power outage after 14 power poles are knocked down by high winds. The power outage is affecting up to 1,300 Imperial Irrigation District accounts. Supervisor Perez has organized a food distribution Saturday morning with FIND Food Bank to drop off water, non-perishable and perishable food items for North Shore residents. The food distribution starts at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, February 27, at the North Shore Community Park in North Shore, 99-480 Avenue 70. The Galilee Center in Mecca is extending its operating hours to assist residents in need of water, showers, laundry facilities and shelter. The Galilee Center is located in Mecca, 66-101 Hammond Rd., and can be reached at 760-396-9100. The Galilee Center is open until 8 p.m. Friday. The Imperial Irrigation District distributed ice bags to residents this morning, and will return to the North Shore Community Park at 4 p.m. Friday afternoon and 8 a.m. Saturday morning to continue providing ice. "I am very concerned about this situation and have been trying to get the Imperial Irrigation District to move quicker, resolve this matter and do what is necessary for their customers to have food and basic necessities," said Supervisor Perez. "North Shore residents have not had electrical service for over 32 hours, with no estimate for when it will be restored. This is a disadvantaged community, and the pandemic has magnified residents’ financial hardship. Our office mobilized very quickly, and Riverside County is committed to providing emergency services and pursuing any kind of disaster relief and resources to alleviate the impact on the North Shore community. I want to thank the Galilee Center, FIND Food Bank, our county team and community members for their assistance in this response." The Riverside County Emergency Management Department urges residents to be safe with food and throw out items that have spoiled. The department is distributing flyers on food safety: CLICK HERE TO VIEW