Biden declares emergency for California due to winter storms

Gulf Today Report

President Joe Biden declared a major disaster in the state and ordered federal aid to supplement local recovery efforts in affected areas.

Biden approved an emergency declaration for California on Saturday, as storms have pounded the Golden State since Dec. 26, killing at least 19 people and bringing floods, power outages, mudslides, evacuations and road closures.

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Biden ordered federal aid to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe winter storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides, the White House said in a statement.

The president's action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Merced, Sacramento and Santa Cruz counties, it said.

The San Lorenzo River rises with emergency evacuation orders in Felton Grove, California, on Saturday. Reuters

Earlier, more than 68,000 utility customers were without electricity Saturday morning, a number that was cut by more than half during the afternoon, according to poweroutage.us.

Flood warnings were issued for the region north of San Francisco Bay, including Marin, Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino counties.

To the south, warnings were posted for parts of counties including San Mateo and Santa Cruz, where the tiny community of Felton Grove along the San Lorenzo River was ordered evacuated. An evacuation order also was issued for residents of the Wilton area in semirural southeastern Sacramento County. Authorities cited the threat of flooding from the Cosumnes River.

Floodwaters cover farmland and Highway 175 following a chain of winter storms in Hopland, California. Reuters

The swollen Salinas River swamped farmland in Monterey County, and to the east, flood warnings were in effect for Merced County in the agricultural Central Valley, where Gov. Gavin Newsom visited to take stock of storm problems.

"The reality is that this is just the eighth of what we anticipate will be nine atmospheric rivers — we're not done,” Newsom said at a briefing with local leaders where he urged people to be vigilant about safety for the next 24 to 48 hours.

"This is happening all across California but I want to say ... you guys are disproportionately taking the brunt of it, and if you feel that way you're right,” Newsom said.