Board Slated to Declare Local Emergency Due to Storm Impacts

RIVERSIDE (CNS) – The Board of Supervisors Tuesday is slated to approve a resolution declaring a state of emergency in Riverside County stemming from the winter storm series that has caused millions of dollars in damage. Emergency Management Department Director Bruce Barton is requesting formal approval of the emergency declaration that he proclaimed by his own authority on March 23. The county’s head of emergency services can unilaterally declare a local emergency, but it must be formally ratified within seven business days by the board for it to remain valid. The board’s authorization of the declaration will enable the county to apply for state and federal relief funds. According to the EMD, the storm series that started in mid February and continued almost weekly until the end of March due to jet stream-driven "atmospheric rivers" flowing across California has caused an estimated $4.4 million in damage. The estimate is derived from infrastructure impacts to county facilities, farms, tribal land, special districts and school districts, officials said. Among the worst impacts was a breach of the levee along the San Jacinto River, according to the EMD. The hole that developed allowed water to flood farmlands, the county Flood Control & Water Conservation District said. The agency said that the breach has since been sealed, but it’s requiring constant attention to fortify, with fears that additional storms could compromise the levee again. "Winter storms have brought unforeseen and unprecedented snow and rainfall within multiple jurisdictions in the county that caused damage to transportation, water conveyance systems and critical infrastructure, delivering an imminent threat to life, property and the environment," according to the proposed resolution. Roads in cities and unincorporated communities countywide have been washed out and flooded, prompting closures on numerous occasions. However, most of those corridors have been repaired and are open. In the San Bernardino National Forest, more than 50 dirt roads leading to camping, hiking, hunting and other recreational sites were declared off limits last month because of snow packs and other winter hazards. This winter’s storm series is similar to the one that walloped the Inland Empire in 2019, though most of the damage then was due to back-to-back storms during one week in February that caused significant flooding and debris flows on state Routes 74, 111 and 243 near Idyllwild, Mountain Center and Palm Springs. Mud and debris flows also damaged the Horsethief Canyon Storm Drain, the Leach Canyon Dam and the McVicker Debris Basin. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed emergency declarations five times over the last month, covering 43 counties. According to the governor’s office, $60 million has already spent on direct aid and response commitments. Once the board ratifies the local emergency proclamation, Riverside County will be included on the list of eligible recipients for future aid. Copyright 2023, City News Service, Inc.