California continues to be hammered by severe weather, with parts of the state blanketed in snow on Thursday as the Southern Plains and other areas faced the threat of “long-lived, intense” tornadoes, forecasters said.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Wednesday to support disaster response and relief in counties hardest hit by the severe weather.
Newsom also activated the State Operations Center to deliver state support to county-led emergency response efforts and to coordinate mutual aid from neighboring jurisdictions, especially in San Bernardino County, where efforts were underway to get more snow plows and road crews out on the streets, his office said in a news release. Efforts included getting more snow plows and road crews
“The state is also contracting with private companies to accelerate snow removal and clear roadways, and is coordinating with investor-owned utilities to rapidly restore power,” the release said. At least two shelters were also expected to be opened for residents in San Bernardino County, it said.
The heavy snowfall in the Golden State prompted the closure of Joshua Tree National Park, with officials citing “inclement weather” in a tweet Wednesday. “Rangers are working on reopening as soon as possible!” they said.
Severe weather had already prompted California’s Yosemite National Park to close last week until Wednesday. However, on Wednesday, the park said it would remain closed amid fresh snowfall, saying there was “no estimated date for reopening.”
Power outages also continued to afflict parts of the state, with more than 70,400 utility customers without power as of Thursday morning, according to online outage tracker PowerOutage.us.
Meanwhile, a “severe weather outbreak” was expected across parts of the Southern Plains and into areas of Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
