Severe March Storms Continue in CA

(film reel clattering) - [Sandy] Welcome to today's news briefing, presented by Cal OES.

That's Office of Emergency Services, and Listos California and co-hosted by Ethnic Media Services, and California Black Media.

I'm Sandy Close, EMS director.

[background music] Today's briefing focuses on the impact of the latest wave of severe storms or more accurately, the devastating "atmospheric rivers."

Millions of Californians have already been impacted by and will continue to encounter this week.

This is a winter the likes of which many of us have not seen or experienced for the better part of the last two decades.

From Kern County to the Central Coast to Santa Cruz and beyond, the devastating impact of these extreme winter events is making headlines the world over.

To elevate the state's response, Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in 40 counties [music stops] and requested and received a federal declaration from President Biden late last week.

These declarations will assist in drawing down needed resources, as we face an oncoming new atmospheric riverway this week.

As we saw in January, the importance of preparing for such winter events cannot be overstated and that is what today's briefing is about.

With the generous help of Listos California and Cal OES, today's briefing is an opportunity for Californians to learn more about preparing for this week's atmospheric rivers.

To understand the full range of options and resources available to them, and to be as proactive as possible in the face of these hazardous conditions.

Now, I turn the conference over to our moderator, Regina Brown Wilson, executive director of California Black Media, who will introduce our speakers.

Regina?

- [Regina] Oh, thank you Sandy.

And, good morning everyone.

On today's call, as you know, you'll hear from experts working on the front lines.

Our first speaker is Diana Crofts-Pelayo, assistant director of Crisis Communications and Public Affairs with Cal OES.

Many of you may remember her from last time.

Our next speaker will be David Lawrence, a meteorologist with the National Weather Services and liaison to Cal OES.

Then, you'll hear from Vance Taylor who serves as the chief of Office of Access and Functional Needs at Cal OES.

He'll offer a comprehensive list of critical safety tips for communities.

So now, we'll go ahead and we'll be again.

Diana, you can go ahead.

- [Diana] Thank you so much, Regina.

Again, Diana Crofts-Pelayo, assistant director of Crisis Communication and Public Affairs at Cal OES.

Today, I'm gonna be providing an update on the state's comprehensive effort to protect California communities during these round of storms.

The impact of this extreme weather has been significant.

There are 33 shelters open in 14 counties.

About 15,800 people are under evacuation orders in 16 counties and about 6,800 people are without power.

Want to say that the state is having round-the-clock, 24/7 coordination.

The governor, Governor Gavin Newsom, has activated the state's operations center which is essentially the full weight of the state, the knowledge of the state all together in one place to be able to have tightly coordinated response, and rapidly deploy resources to protect impacted communities.

Cal OES is coordinating with local governments on needed resources like comfort kits, generators, sandbags, and other items.

We've also moved some resources around the state kind of like a "neighbor helping neighbor," especially for emergency response teams, specialized fire and rescue engines and swift water rescue teams, so that maybe counties in one area that aren't so impacted can actually go help another county in the state.

Truly, it's a full state government response and we are working with our state agency partners like Health and Human Services Agency: you'll hear from Corin in a little bit.

But also, Caltrans Cal Fire, California Highway Patrol, the National Guard and Department of Water Resources, and so many others.

What I wanna be able to also say is that you can make a difference.

Being prepared is an essential part of the work that we do here to get out the word generally on this emergency.

And so, I'll go in and maybe talk about how Governor Newsom has declared a state of emergency in 40 counties.

You can see the list of them right there.

Basically, what this does is it brings that coordinated state response to the communities on the local level, so that we can help during this emergency.

In addition, we have requested and received a federal emergency disaster declaration from the president.

That's for 34 counties.

We just added six yesterday, and so we're coordinating with the federal government to add those other six that were just added yesterday.

And, what this does too is it provides lifesaving federal response personnel and resources to the state that then goes to the local governments.

And that's, like, generators, road clearance equipment, supplies, sheltering, and potential mass care assistance.

As I had said, you are a critical part in the role to keeping Californians safe.

And so, number one, we want to emphasize people to sign up for the community's-- your local community's warning system.

Go to calalerts.gov If you're told to evacuate, please do so immediately.

And then, the other thing, and you'll see right here is put together an emergency kit just like this backpack that basically has essential things like food, water, important documents and other things that you might need for you, your family, your pets, in case you need to leave quickly from your home or you need to stay in place.

The other thing I will also add to is do not drive around barricades.

Local responders use them to safely direct traffic and it can actually be really, really dangerous.

You can be swept away in as little as six inches of water and a car can be swept away in as little as 12 inches.

Finally, one last shout-out before I'll hand it over to Regina.

We have indigenous language outreach videos specific on flooding and general preparedness.

Those include in different dialects of Mixteco, Triqui, Purépecha, Tlapaneco and Zapoteco, Punjabi, and so many others.

So, go to listoscalifornia.org We hope these resources are helpful for you.

We hope you stay safe in the coming days, and that with your help we can make a difference for Californians during this time.

With that, I'll hand it over to Regina Wilson.

- [Regina] But, we'll go ahead and we'll move on to David.

- [David] It's great to be with you today and thanks for having me.

We'll talk about sort of that mid-range and longer-term outlook because I think a lot of people are very curious about that.

But, let's focus on the very short term here, first.

This large plume of cloudiness over the Pacific that's sort of aimed right at the state of California, and that is very representative of lots of additional moisture that will be arriving across the state.

And, as you can see here, due to that moisture, we are expecting significant, significant impacts across much of the state.

There's three key things we wanna focus in on with this particular storm.

On average, we're likely to see an additional two to five inches of rainfall in many areas of the state by the time this storm wraps up for midweek.

However, the thing to really focus in on is wherever this rain band that is sweeping through the state sort of stops and pivots, much like we often see in atmospheric river events, local amounts of rainfall are likely, likely to exceed 10 inches.

And, the most likely areas for that to occur would be from the Central Coast kind of-- that's Monterey County down to San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, all the way into the southern Sierra, especially the lower elevation western slopes of the southern Sierra.

And, unfortunately, those are the locations that have seen the most significant rainfall here over the last couple of days.

So, what does this all mean with the additional rain?

We're very likely to see additional flooding across much of the state beginning late tonight, continuing through mid to late week.

So, really want folks to be prepared for that potential.

Up high, we're dealing with additional very, very heavy snowfall, especially in the Sierra above about 7,500 feet.

In those locations, we are going to see another 6 to locally 12 feet of snowfall by the time this storm wraps up for midweek.

That just means we are putting additional water into the mountains that we will unfortunately have to deal with as the spring melt does begin here in the next couple of weeks.

Also, I want to mention one other impact from this is widespread strong winds.

Wind gusts of 40 to 60 miles per hour are very likely in the lower elevations, especially across the Bay Area, up into the Sacramento Valley and into the Sierra.

In the higher elevations, wind gusts could exceed 80 miles per hour with this storm, and the strongest winds will occur Monday night through the day on Tuesday.

With those winds and very, very wet soils, we will see the potential for tree damage and trees to fall as well as additional power outages due to falling trees.

We could also see some rock and mudslides develop.

And, in addition to river flooding, which is, you know, a longer term, usually slower evolving type of flooding, we could see flash flooding which is a rapid onset occurring, very quickly type of flooding develop in portions of the state with this particular system.

The next slide, please.

If that was not enough, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news 'cause we never want to do that, but I want people to really obviously focus.

We want you to focus on this particular storm.

We will catch a very brief break in the weather Thursday and Friday with only some light precipitation expected.

So, that is a little bit of good news.

But be aware, please, that as we go into the middle of the month, and you can see the map here, it is very likely that we will see above normal precipitation return to the state.

And, by that I don't mean that it's going to be necessarily a massive flooding rain or anything like that, but the potential is very high that we will see additional rounds of moisture impact the state, as we go into mid, and perhaps, even late month.

Unfortunately, it's very difficult at this time range to get into the details.

I don't have any specifics available.

But I really want folks- if you hear me, and hear me well on this- please, please be prepare for at least the possibility that we will see additional periods of significant precipitation through mid and perhaps late month.

Keep a very close eye on the latest forecast and if we have additional webinars like this, we'll provide the latest information, as well.

But, know that this weather pattern may not be over after this next round of precipitation exits the state by Wednesday.

Happy to take questions, as always.

Otherwise, thank you very much for your time and for allowing me to be here.

- [Regina] Thank you, Mr. Lawrence, so much.

I'm gonna look.

I'm checking through the chat to see if there's any that pertain to you, or that are good for you.

And Diana, maybe you'll have to jump back in on some of these questions.

But I'm just wondering-?

This is one question.

(reads) "Just wondering what the forecast for summer temps.

Will we see a drastic change in high temps?"

So, I guess we're seeing all the rain and wet.

Will we see this-?

Do you know what we'll see?

Not that you can predict the future, but you are a weatherman!

(Regina chuckles) [David] Thank you for that!

Yeah, absolutely.

I will tell you that the forecast heading over the next a month, for the remainder of the month, is for, as we mentioned, above normal precipitation and a strong likelihood of below normal temperatures.

In other words, cooler than normal.

As we get out beyond March, there is no strong signal, "climate signal" we say, to predict right now as we get that far out.

Even beyond about April 1st, it gets very murky out there.

So, unfortunately, this is one of those years that will be very difficult to try to predict what happens beyond that period.

Some years we're able to have a much better feel for it.

This is not one of those years, unfortunately.

So, I would say pay attention closely to the short-term trends where the impactful weather is occurring.

But, I appreciate the question.

- [Regina] Yeah.

Is the entire West Coast impacted like Oregon and Washington?

- [David] So far, this winter, no.

Actually, much of the Pacific Northwest is dry, much drier than normal.

As the storm track that we saw the last two years was focused in the Pacific Northwest, this year has shifted really into much of California.

So, those areas are actually quite dry right now compared to their normals.

- [Regina] Ah, okay.

And, maybe you'll have this question.

So, maybe you'll have the answer to this question.

(reads) "What does this mean for the long-term predictions about drought?"

I dunno if that's for you or not.

- [David] Absolutely.

Thank you.

That's a fantastic question!

As we have seen over the last three months, obviously with record-setting rainfall and snowfall, that has put a significant dent in the drought across California to the point where many areas that were in what we call the worst category, sort of that "exceptional drought" where it's very bad, we've seen a marked improvement in many areas of the state because of this precipitation.

The one thing I like to tell people about drought is it's not just surface water that we're concerned about.

Obviously, that is the short-term concern with filling the reservoirs and getting some of that groundwater near the surface back up to where it should be.

The other part of the drought is actually the deeper water penetration into the soil, which takes quite some time.

So, even with lots of precipitation, much like we have seen, it can still take many additional months for that water, some of it, to seep deep enough to truly eradicate the drought.

But, if we continue on this type of a pattern for the next few weeks and even perhaps a month, if that were to continue or more, we would very likely see this drought come to a pretty sharp end across not only California, but many areas of the Southwest.

- [Regina] So, okay.

I have two questions here that would really pertain to you.

(reads) It's "how many inches of rain must fall to alleviate the drought?"

- [David] There are no specific values required.

What is required is to, as I mentioned here just a minute ago, recharge not only the surface water, the reservoirs, the lakes, things like that, but the deep water levels.

In other words, deep into the soil and into the aquifers where some of that water is stored that we are able to draw up for drinking water purposes at times.

So, it's a combination of both and it really depends on location.

It depends on climatology because, obviously, northwestern portions of northern California are climatologically very wet.

So, it does take-- it takes more water for them to be "normal," quote/unquote, than say, southern California which only averages between two and eight inches in many areas throughout the water year.

So, for those areas it takes a lot less.

What I can tell you is the statewide average of precipitation over the last three months is something like 12 or 13 inches.

And that's an average across the whole state, including southern California, which is historically drier.

So, the amount of water that has fallen is just tremendous.

And, if any of you are into, comparing this to previous years which-- there are sort of two years that really stand out, or two winter seasons.

It's the winter of 1969, and then the winter of 1982 into '83.

Those are sort of the benchmark years for California where we saw huge amounts of precipitation.

And currently, based on right now where we are, if it were to stop snowing, and not snow the rest of the season in the southern Sierra, we would already beat the highest recorded snowpack that we've seen there in the last 50-plus years.

So, impressive amounts of water have already fallen.

But as I mentioned, for the drought to 100% go away, we still have to wait for some of that ground-- that deeper groundwater and those aquifers to recharge.

- [Regina] But, we can move on to Mr. Vance Taylor.

- [Vance] Alright.

Thanks, everybody.

So, as David outlined, we've got some very serious weather coming our way.

And, the reality is that it's gonna impact people throughout the state.

We know because certain areas are gonna get hit for a second, third, fourth time.

That there's particularly deep impacts in areas like Monterey, Merced, Santa Cruz.

And, we're seeing that reflected in an increase in the number of people that are sheltering, and expect that those numbers will go up as more storms come in.

One of the things that we think about is, of course, what government is doing to help people.

But because it's such a widespread event, right?

Because the impact area is spread throughout the entire state, there's gonna be a limit to what government can do to help people in these situations.

And, when I think of preparedness, I think of it as a double-sided coin.

There's what can city, county and state government do to assist?

And, the other side of that coin is what can these individuals do to prepare to be safe before, during, and after disasters?

And, there's a couple points that I think are just really important to highlight.

And, those are points that I think are particularly impactful for Californians with access and functional needs: people who have physical, developmental, or intellectual disabilities, people who are transportation disadvantaged, people who maybe don't have English as their primary language, anyone with chronic injury or illness, anyone that's economically depressed or experiencing homelessness.

Like, these are individuals who are gonna be at highest risk for negative impact in these disasters.

And so, when we think about the steps we can take, there are certain things on the preparedness side you can do that really cost you $0, but can be life impacting and lifesaving and life changing.

So, the first one, of course, is to prepare for loss of power for many individuals, but they're energy dependent.

If you use a ventilator, if you have assistance devices, technologies, or durable medical equipment, chances are you rely on power.

And so, while you may be okay from the rain or a flood, if there's no power that, of course, presents life safety risks.

So, we recommend that people keep all their equipment charged, right?

If you've got power, great.

Plug it in and keep it charged.

We also want people to connect with programs like the Disability Disaster Access and Resources program.

This is a program that helps by providing backup batteries; that also provides free evacuation services in terms of paying for transportation; that provides hotel vouchers, food vouchers, and gas cards.

They're run through local independent living centers and it's one of several programs people can connect with that provides assistance.

The other thing is when it comes to loss of power, activate friends, family, care providers, so that they can assist you if the power goes out.

Think about people you know and trust, people you can rely on.

And make sure that they know that if the power goes out, they need to come support you.

So, that's just on the preparedness front for loss of power.

Some people are gonna need to evacuate.

We've seen that.

And, one of the areas people struggle with is if they need assistance.

For example, I use a power wheelchair.

I don't drive.

So, I need assistance with that.

Make a list of friends, family members, coworkers, neighbors that can help you evacuate.

So, for me, it's my wife.

She likes me!

I'm sure she'll help me evacuate, but my mom lives very close.

We had nine good months together in the womb!

We're pretty tight!

But, I've got friends at work and some colleagues and a friend in the neighborhood.

The idea here is that we can't expect any one of those individuals to be available 24 hours a day.

But, by having a network of people, it's likely that at least one of those individuals is gonna be available to help evacuate when the time comes.

So, make that list.

Communicate with your support network.

When it comes to evacuations, always follow the guidance of local authorities.

How many times have you heard somebody say, "well, I've lived here for 30 years.

"They always say to go.

I never do.

And, it's always okay."

Until it's not!

These storms are unprecedented.

So, please follow the guidance of local authorities.

Learn the different evacuation routes to get out of your community, and, as much as you can, practice your plan.

Lastly, you gotta get good information.

So, sign up for emergency alerts.

That's easy to do.

It's free.

It gives you reliable information, so that you know what's coming, how to prepare, and what appropriate steps you need to take for your health and safety.

And, sign up for free emergency alerts.

And, those small steps will make all the difference.

I always tell people: "plan today so you can be prepared tomorrow."

So, thanks very much.

And, back over to Regina.

- [Regina] Thanks so much.

Diana, do you wanna go ahead and I'll let you go ahead and close out.

- [Diana] Thank you so much Regina.

And thank you, Sandy.

Also, the rest of the ethnic media team, California Black Media, [background music] everyone who kind of put this together for today.

We really wanted to get you the information before this next round of storms hit, just because we've been seeing so much extreme weather.

And so, a huge appreciation for everyone taking the time.

I mentioned earlier, but there are some resources for you all.

Go to listoscalifornia.org and then, you know, we wanna advocate.

You guys are official sources.

But when it comes to sharing anything, you can make the difference to help Californians during this time of need.

[background music] And, do what you can to get the information out there.

I'll put in the chat listoscalifornia.org website.

All of the resources we have.

And, don't forget those indigenous languages resources, too, that are all YouTube videos because they don't have a written language.

And so, we wanna also get the word out to those folks, as well.

So, with that, I will hand it back over to Regina.

- I hope that everyone will stay safe and try to stay dry and be prepared for what's to come for this week.

So, thank you all and I look forward to seeing you guys on the next briefing.

♪