Gov. Gavin Newsom will visit Tulare and Kings counties to tour flood damage

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday will visit parts of Tulare and Kings counties to see in-person flooding issues in the Tulare Lake basin.

The flooding threat is expected to worsen in the San Joaquin Valley as the Sierra snowpack melts, sending runoff water into the valley floor.

Newsom will talk about what his administration will do to help combat the potential floods in a live stream at about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.

After months of atmospheric rivers, storms, and record floods during the winter, the long-dry Tulare Lake is rising again from the San Joaquin Valley floor. Nearly all four rivers, countless creeks, and thousands of miles of canals linked to Tulare Lake are swollen and at capacity.

Newsom’s office estimated $60 million in agricultural losses in Tulare County and $70 million in Kern Counties alone.

So far, the track record for state and local emergency response has been mixed in the San Joaquin Valley, where local agencies have struggled to mediate conflicts between landowners and flooded communities, and state officials have yet to clarify their oversight role.

Farmers, workers, and residents in several flooded communities complained that it took weeks for the state to gain federal help through a disaster designation. Even with that, many farmworkers won’t qualify for federal cash assistance because they are undocumented.

Log onto this story at around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday to see the live press conference on the governor’s Twitter feed at twitter.com/CAgovernor, on Facebook at facebook.com/CAgovernor, and on YouTube at youtube.com/cagovernor.

This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Newsom will visit Tulare and Kings counties to tour flood damage