CALIFORNIA, USA — California Governor Gavin Newsom is calling on help from the White House as the state bears the brunt of a series of winter storms.
The winter storms are described as atmospheric rivers that are bringing torrential rainfall and high-speed gusts across the state. Hundreds of thousands of customers across PG&E and SMUD lost power early Sunday morning, with many still offline into the evening hours.
The move from Newsom is a request for a Presidential Emergency Declaration to help the storm response and recovery efforts. It would allow California to access federal resources and personnel.
According to state officials, 12 Californians have died from storm-related impacts, including flooding, since late December. It's a number that's more than the total people lost to wildfires in the past two years combined.
“We are in the middle of a deadly barrage of winter storms – and California is using every resource at its disposal to protect lives and limit damage,” said Newsom. “We are taking the threat from these storms seriously, and want to make sure that Californians stay vigilant as more storms head our way.”
California is confronting its fifth atmospheric river storm in recent days, which is expected to bring several inches of rain and snow through the state Sunday into early Monday. More storms are expected through the week.
The National Weather Service also warned of a “relentless parade of atmospheric rivers” over the coming week, producing heavy rain and mountain snow. Atmospheric river storms are long plumes of moisture stretching out into the Pacific and are capable of dropping staggering amounts of rain and snow.
If approved, the Presidential Emergency Declaration would be in addition to the emergency declaration California made early in the week. The state's Flood Operations Center has also been opened, which covers forecasting, reservoir operations coordination, technical support and also provides flood fighting materials for government agencies.
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