Starting on Feb. 4, a strong atmospheric river storm impacted much of the state, resulting in at least 11 deaths. The storm caused widespread flooding, power outages, school closures, and damage to roadways.
Hundreds of thousands of residents lost power during the storm surge, which swelled rivers across the state and sent boulders and debris across highways and roadways. Several people were rescued after their vehicles were swept up in fast-moving currents as flooding developed over the three-day event.
In addition to the deaths as a result of the storm, hundreds of homeless people were relocated, according to reports.
Up to five inches of rain fell across most of the state, with up to 10 inches in the coast mountain ranges and Los Angeles basin. Some areas of the San Gabriel Mountains in Southern California received 10 to 15 inches of rain.
Counties included in the emergency declaration include Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Alameda, Butte, Glenn, Lake, Mendocino, Monterey, Sacramento, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, and Sutter.
The presidential declaration is intended to give targeted tax relief to people and businesses impacted by the state-declared emergencies and disasters.
The declaration also makes federal public assistance available to help state, tribal, and local governments cover the costs of emergency response and recovery efforts. It also includes funding for hazard mitigation efforts statewide, according to the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
