Biden Declares State of Emergency Over California Storms
President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency in California on Monday following torrential storms that have left at least 14 people dead and over 200,000 without power.
The declaration covers the counties of El Dorado, Los Angeles, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, Stanislaus and Ventura.
All of Montecito in Santa Barbara County was evacuated Monday. Fire Chief Kevin Taylor said at least eight inches of rain had fallen in the area over a 12-hour period.
Classes have been canceled up and down the state. The Sacramento City Unified school district was among those shuttering schools on Monday, as six of its campuses were left without electricity.
“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,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday. “We are taking the threat from these storms seriously and want to make sure that Californians stay vigilant as more storms head our way.”
Today’s rains are expected to most heavily impact Southern California. Northern California will face a third round of downpours on Wednesday.
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