SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — With a series of storms forecasted to continue through mid-March, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday proclaimed a state of emergency to support storm response and relief efforts in El Dorado County, as well as 20 other counties, according to a news release from the Governor’s Office.

The governor last week proclaimed a state of emergency in 13 counties due to storms and activated the California Guard and State Operations Center to bring state support to county-led emergency response efforts and coordinate mutual aid from neighboring jurisdictions.

“The state is working around the clock with local partners to deploy life-saving equipment and first responders to communities across California,” states Newsom in the news release. “With more dangerous storms on the horizon, we’ll continue to mobilize every available resource to protect Californians.”

State officials report staffing and equipment resources from the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, Caltrans, California Highway Patrol, Cal Fire and the California National Guard are on the ground in impacted areas.

Cal Fire and partner agencies have 43 crews active statewide, 12 of which are committed to the San Bernardino storm incident, as well as two helicopters, two dozers and an incident management team, among other resources, notes the news release. The California Guard is pre-positioning high water vehicles in preparation for flood response operations.

Caltrans officials report they have mobilized more than 4,000 crew members to hundreds of incidents statewide, working 24/7 in shifts. In San Bernardino County more than 57 Caltrans employees operating 40 high-powered pieces of equipment, including snowplows, graders, loaders and dump trucks, have removed more than 12.6 million cubic yards of snow off state highways as of March 8, which equates to more than 3,800 Olympic-size swimming pools. 

CHP is increasing resources in targeted areas to help address storm-related needs — including ensuring full staffing for air operation missions.

Visit CalAlerts.org to sign up for local wireless emergency alerts and QuickMap (ca.gov) to check road conditions.

The state has now proclaimed a state of emergency for 34 counties — Amador, Butte, El Dorado, Fresno, Humboldt, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Lake, Los Angeles, Madera, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Mono, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Sierra, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tulare, Tuolumne and Yuba.