April 21, 2023 - SACRAMENTO – Supporting ongoing storm response and recovery efforts, Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday proclaimed a state of emergency in the counties of Contra Costa, Riverside, San Diego, and Yolo, which join the 47 counties for which the Governor has previously proclaimed a state of emergency since the start of severe winter storms in late February.

At Governor Newsom’s request, President Biden has issued a Presidential Emergency Declaration and a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration, which has since been expanded to include additional counties, to bolster state and local storm response efforts.

The text of today’s emergency proclamation can be found here.

To help prepare communities for the impacts of snowmelt runoff as the weather warms, the Governor previously signed an executive order to expedite levee repairs, floodwater diversion, and other emergency response activities in the Tulare Lake Basin. State agencies and departments are on the ground to support impacted residents, assist local agencies managing the flood response, and provide runoff modeling and forecasts to assist flood planning efforts.

California continues to mobilize personnel and resources to support storm and flood-impacted communities across California, which has included the opening of multiple Disaster Recovery Centers; the deployment of state personnel to perform lifesaving rescue missions; the mobilization of food, water, sandbags, cots, and other commodities to areas in need; and providing equipment and personnel to assist in the fortification of levees and clearing of debris and snow from roadways.
Source: Office of the Governor