California’s governor was embarking on a ‘personal trip’ in Mexico while citizens were left struggling with the aftermath of a devastating winter storm, it has been revealed.
The atypical weather saw as much as 10 feet of snow dumbed across several cities in Southern California, spurring a state of emergency in more than 13 counties. Further north, some areas have seen as much as 15 feet of snow.
Los Angeles was among those hit hardest by the severe weather, as well the neighboring San Bernardino County, where residents reportedly remain stranded in their homes after being bombarded with snow not only Monday, but last week as well.
Now nearing two weeks since the first flakes fell, citizens are contending with the possibility of their roofs collapsing under the weight of snow buildup, while many are still waiting to dig their cars out from their snowpacked prisons.
State officials are now spearheading relief efforts – after revealing Tuesday the state’s governor had been on vacation all last week while emergency orders were in effect. He has since returned, but not before 13 were reported dead as a result the storm.
Governor Gavin Newsom is seen being briefed by staffers in a baseball cap and jeans after cutting short a ‘personal trip’ to Mexico
The Monday meeting came as residents remained stranded in their homes after being bombarded with snow for nearly two weeks. Don Kendrick and Deanna Beaudoin were among many still stranded on their properties after being bombarded with several feet of snow
‘The Governor was on a personal trip in Baja California,’ Newsom’s office confirmed in a statement Tuesday night, after several cities had already seen snow for eight-straight days.
‘He returned to the state on Sunday, meeting with emergency personnel at the State Operations Center and receiving a briefing on current conditions,’ the rep added.
According to the spokesperson, the brief saw the progressive politician receive ‘an update on winter storms and the state’s work to support disaster response and relief efforts’ from staffers in his office.
Staffers would proceed share a photograph of the late-night meeting, showing a pensive, baseball cap-clad Newsom sitting at a conference table listening to one of his staffers.
A day later, the governor pledged that his state would no longer do business with Walgreens, the nation’s second-largest retail pharmacy, due to its decision to halt selling abortion pills in locations across the US even in states where they are legal.
Announcing the decision on Monday, Newsom’s office has so far failed to address the situation currently facing thousand of residents in hard-hit areas of San Bernardino County, where citizens remained trapped by walls of snow and are confronted with the reality of dwindling supplies.
Announcing the decision on Monday, Newsom’s office has so far failed to address the situation currently facing thousand of residents in hard-hit areas of San Bernardino County, where citizens remained trapped by walls of snow and are now confronted with dwindling supplies
The San Bernardino mountains coated in inches and inches of snow as rescue vehicles work to get residents back on the grid after two back-to-back snowstorms hit the area
‘Imagine not having any food in your house after being trapped for 13 days,’ Michelle Calkins, a resident of the still snowed-in San Bernardino community of Crestline, told KTLA-TV on Monday of the conditions after being snowed in for 13 days.
Other residents such as Don Kendrick and Deanna Beaudoin were among many still stranded in their properties, with the pair only able to shovel out their car Sunday 12 days after the 9,000-strong community was first hit with the first snowfall.
The cold snap has since moved eastward toward the Wester Plains, allowing residents like Calkins, Kendrick, and Beaudoin some reprieve.
In a statement Monday, Newsom’s office maintained that ‘significant numbers of state personnel are on the ground supporting affected areas,’ including those in San Bernadino County, set just east of Los Angeles.
Crews are now working to reach immobilized communities such as Crestline, where five free food distribution centers have reportedly been set up.
Snowfall surrounds town streets and businesses in Crestline, a small mountain community in hard-hit San Bernardino
Citizens in San Bernardino now face the task of clearing roughly 500 miles of tight, winding roads throughout its mountain areas – a mission officials say is about 80 percent complete
Residents of the San Bernardino Mountain brave long lines for food at Goodwin & Son’s Market in Crestline, Calif., Friday, March 3, 2023, amidst a shortage caused by heavy snowfall. The store’s roof ultimately collapse from the weight of the snow
Newsom’s office on Monday said that more than 57 state staffers from the California Department of Transportation have been deployed to those communities, bringing with them ’40 high-powered pieces of equipment, including graders, loaders, dump trucks, snow plows and blowers.’
Officials insisted the operations have so far been successful, with the state staffers – aided by Newsom’s office and the California National Guard – removing more than 7.2 million cubic yards of snow off state highways in San Bernardino County.
That said, that update was provided on Saturday, shortly before residents of the largely mountainous area were met with as much as 38 inches of snow over a 24-hour period, likely slowing rescue operations.
The severe weather seen across much of So-Cal has since lessened, with areas now only experiencing light snow showers, after nearly two weeks of snowfall.
Businesses in the area, including some grocery stores, remain closed, with citizens on Monday saying they are growing increasingly desperate
Newsom’s office on Monday said that more than 57 staffers from the California Department of Transportation have been deployed to the area, bringing with them ’40 high-powered pieces of equipment, including graders, loaders, dump trucks, snow plows and blowers’
The sudden cold front is now poised to continue east, bringing more snow to western plain communities in the Dakotas, Nebraska, and parts of Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin.
A warmer storm system is bound for the San Bernardino mountains later this week. The anticipated warmer rain is expected to hit the region on Thursday night into Friday morning.
Though the warm air and rain may melt the remaining snow at an increased rate, the chance of flooding will be increased.
In the interim, aside from still surfacing reports of snowed-in individuals, there have been several reports of housefires and gas leaks as many roads still remains closed and that ones that are open are congested with emergency vehicles.
Meanwhile, in Northern California, the Sierra Nevadas are seeing record snow figures as well, receiving an additional foot-and-a-half of snow on Monday after being bombarded with more than 14 feet over the past two weeks.
The area is now being hit with the remnants of the weather seen to the Southwest in San Bernardino and LA, spurring officials to issue an avalanche warning, with another five feet of snow are expected.
Officials in San Bernardino, moreover, now face the task of clearing roughly 500 miles of tight, winding roads throughout its mountain areas – a mission the county said was about 80 percent complete in an update on Sunday.
Businesses in the area, including some grocery stores, remain closed, with citizens on Monday saying they are growing increasingly desperate.
Derek Hayes, a resident of the nearby community of Cedar Glen, told CNN: People are getting desperate. They need medication. They need food for their children.’
The snowfall total for the storms currently stands at 48.33 feet, rivaling only the winter of 1951-1952 for most snow.
As of Tuesday, 13 have been confirmed dead as a result of the extreme weather.
