CA, US & World
California declares state of emergency in 13 counties after brutal winter storm traps residents
(CNN) — Some California residents remain trapped inside their homes after a winter storm dumped feet of snow across the Golden State, prompting Gov. Gavin Newsom to issue a state of emergency in 13 counties, including hard-hit San Bernardino County.
Authorities there had conducted almost 100 rescues by Wednesday evening, San Bernardino County Fire Chief Dan Munsey said in a news conference, though authorities have not learned of any serious injuries or deaths.
“We’re responding to medical calls. We’re responding to fires in these trapped vehicles. We are going to people’s houses where they’ve had trees through their houses or some sort of roof collapse and we are evacuating them to our evacuation shelters,” Munsey said.
Just over 70,000 homes and businesses remained without power early Thursday, days after the first round of winter storms hit California, according to PowerOutage.us. And while the state is getting a brief reprieve from the snow through the end of the week, another system is expected to move into Northern California this weekend.
Newsom declared a state of emergency for San Bernardino County and 12 others — among them Los Angeles and Santa Barbara counties — late Wednesday, with his office saying in a statement that a significant number of state personnel had responded to support San Bernardino County.
The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services has been working to bring additional snow plows and road crews to the county, and personnel from Cal Fire and the California National Guard “are readied to support operations.”
It could take a week to 10 days to dig out the mountain communities hampered by the heavy snow, officials warned in a news conference Wednesday. Mountain residents were still unable to access roads Wednesday, per fire department spokesperson Eric Sherwin. The county has about 500 miles of tight, winding roads throughout the mountain areas that need to be plowed, county Public Works Director Brendon Biggs said.
Many parts of California were buried under a significant amount of snow in recent days, and some places received more than 100 inches in the last week, according to the National Weather Service, leading authorities to warn residents about possible avalanches. Residents in a three-story apartment building in Olympic Valley had to be evacuated after it was struck by an avalanche Tuesday evening, engulfing the bottom two stories, the sheriff’s office said on Facebook. The building’s occupants were uninjured.
Huntington Lake in the Sierra Nevada saw 144 inches of snow, per a report from the Fresno County Office of Emergency Services, which reported 10 to 12 feet of snow near China Peak, leading to the closure of Highway 168.
In Southern California, 106 inches of snow were recorded since February 22 at Mount Baldy, outside of Los Angeles. Of that 106 inches, 29 fell in the past two days, according to CNN meteorologist Taylor Ward, while the other 77 inches fell late last week and through the weekend.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
By: Ceci Partridge
March 2, 2023
Latest Instagram Posts
Alice B. has announced its closing its doors. It’s cozy atmosphere and unique seasonal menu made it a must try and even landed it in the Michelin guide. @susanfeniger and @marysuemilliken left their mark on the desert over at Living Out and it will be missed. Here’s a clip from one of our last interviews with Susan.
Cathedral City City Council votes to rename “LGBT+ Days” to “Cathedral City Pride”. The council approved the change in a 5-0 vote during its latest meeting, updating the official name of the city’s annual celebration. Stay tuned with NBC Palm Springs to see what this means to the Coachella Valley Community #CathedralCity #pride #CityCouncil #CoachellaValley #LocalNews
Discover the Coachella Valley with the Everything Palm Springs app. From iconic attractions and hidden gems to local restaurants, shops, entertainment and even filming locations, the map-based app is designed to help both visitors and locals find more of what the desert has to offer. Creator Lindsay Kinkle is also expanding the app with video tours and narrated guides, giving users another way to explore Palm Springs and the surrounding communities. Local businesses like Buena Matcha are also getting a chance to connect with new customers through the platform. As Lindsay says, there’s so much to do and enjoy here — you just have to know where to look. #PalmSprings #CoachellaValley #EverythingPalmSprings #PalmSpringsApp #VisitPalmSprings DesertLife LocalBusiness CoachellaValleyBusiness NBCPalmSprings
Social Time with Thalia & Jerry
What’s next for Palm Desert? Join community leaders, local businesses and regional stakeholders for the 2026 State of the City Address. Topics: • Economic Development • Infrastructure • Public Safety • Community Programs • Palm Desert’s Future CTA: Friday, September 18 | 11:30 AM JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort
Former Silvercrest CEO, William Rodriguez is expected back in court today in connection with the deadly 2024 Cathedral City hit and run that killed a woman. The murder charge was dismissed, but Rodriguez still faces felony hit and run and suspended license charges.
Social Time with Thalia & Jerry
Murder suspect Vicky Kim has once again not been cleared to appear in court. Kim is accused of killing her husband at their Palm Desert condominium complex. Her arraignment has now been delayed three times. Stay tuned with NBC Palm Springs as we track the latest developments in this case. #VickyKim #PalmDesert #CoachellaValley #BreakingNews #CourtUpdate NBCPalmSprings
Palm Springs is mourning the loss of beloved entertainer James “Gypsy” Haake, who has died at 94. Haake began his entertainment career at just 19 years old as a Broadway chorus dancer. After retiring from the stage, he returned to performing at 82, becoming the host of Carnival Cabaret at Oscars in downtown Palm Springs. A longtime friend of our station, Haake was a familiar and beloved figure in the Palm Springs entertainment community — and his contributions were recognized with a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars. His career spanned more than seven decades, proving that the spotlight never truly left him. ❤️ Rest in peace, James “Gypsy” Haake. Your legacy will live on in Palm Springs. #JamesGypsyHaake #PalmSprings #PalmSpringsWalkOfStars #CarnivalCabaret #PalmSpringsEntertainment #OscarsPalmSprings #PalmSpringsHistory
Social Time with Thalia & Jerry