San Bernardino County mountain communities continue to dig out after historic snowstorm

Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press
·6 min read
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San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Chair Dawn Rowe leads a press conference on Friday to update residents on efforts to recover from the recent snowstorms in local mountain communities.
San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Chair Dawn Rowe leads a press conference on Friday to update residents on efforts to recover from the recent snowstorms in local mountain communities.

San Bernardino County, state and federal leaders, and first responders held a press conference on Friday to share recovery effort updates related to the record snowfall in local mountain communities.

"We sympathize with our residents and our businesses. We know that this is an exceptionally tough time for those that are still stranded on the mountain," said SBC Board of Supervisors Chair Dawn Rowe, whose third district oversees the mountain communities.

Rowe added that on Thursday, leaders were finally able to rescue many from their homes, with many still stranded.

“Residents who are still trapped, if you have food and water, please remain sheltered in place,” Rowe said. “We are making headway on clearing the roads, but it’s going to take some time.”

Residents experiencing life-threatening emergencies should call 911, and those running low on supplies or simply needing information should call the county’s 24-hour helpline at 909-387-3911.

More:Help arrives for residents of snow-filled San Bernardino Mountains

As of Friday morning, the SBC helpline had received 2,051 calls from residents asking about clearing roads, food availability, structural issues with their homes, and the integrity of natural gas lines.

The National Forest Service's emergency closure order for the San Bernardino County Mountains remains in effect. Access is restricted to residents and emergency crews only, the SBC Sheriff's Department reported.

County officials on Monday declared a local emergency after mountain residents found themselves trapped at home or unable to reach their homes due to several feet of snow that fell over the weekend.

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday proclaimed a state of emergency to support and fund disaster response and relief in SBC and a dozen other counties.

Newsom also activated the State Operations Center to bring higher-level support to county-led emergency response efforts and coordinate mutual aid from neighboring jurisdictions, especially in SBC.

A Caltrans snow blower clearing a mountain roadway in the San Bernardino Mountains after the recent snow storm.
A Caltrans snow blower clearing a mountain roadway in the San Bernardino Mountains after the recent snow storm.

Online snow removal map shows progress removing snow

Many of the questions coming into the helpline can now be answered by an online interactive snow removal map unveiled today by the SBC Public Works Department.

The map shows that as of Friday morning, 309 miles, or 59% of roads maintained by the county, had been cleared by crews working around the clock since last week from Mt. Baldy and Wrightwood to the eastern edge of the Big Bear Valley.

County leaders said Caltrans came out with impressive numbers, reporting that more than 50 of their employees operated 33 high-powered equipment, including graders, loaders, dump trucks, snow plows, and blowers.

Combined, they have removed more than 7 million cubic yards of snow from state highways in SBC, which equates to nearly 2,205 Olympic-size swimming pools. In addition, private contractors have removed another 750,000 cubic yards of snow from State Routes 18 and 330.

Access the snow removal map at snowinfo.sbcounty.gov.

Commodity distribution sites set up for people snowed in

SBC, in collaboration with the Snowline School District, established a Commodity Point of Distribution in Wrightwood for those individuals who the winter storms have impacted.

Distribution sites are offered to the public to pick up supplies during interruptions to regular supply chains or disaster situations.

The Wrightwood C-Pod is located at Wrightwood Elementary School, 1175 State Highway 2, in Wrightwood. The site will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Items available at the distribution site will include water, food, blankets, batteries, and baby supplies. Residents may call the hotline 24/7 at 909-387-3911 for more information.

Other C-POD sites will open soon in other storm-impacted communities.

Cal Fire along with other agencies continue to work to restore vital services to residents affected by the recent storms in the local mountain communities.
Cal Fire along with other agencies continue to work to restore vital services to residents affected by the recent storms in the local mountain communities.

Food distribution on way for snowed-in people

Food is on the way to mountain communities and will be distributed at Goodwin’s Market, on Lake Drive and Lake Gregory Drive in Crestline.

Additional food will be delivered and distributed as follows:

Saturday at Goodwin’s Market beginning at 8 a.m. Also, at Charles Hoffman Elementary School in Running Springs beginning at 1 p.m. The distribution will continue while supplies last.

Attempts to deliver and distribute additional food supplies will continue as long as first responders can.

For more information, please call the SBC helpline at 909-387-3911.

California National Guard Blackhawk helicopters, launched Thursday from Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, flew over the areas as they assessed where to drop food and other critical supplies.

SBC Sheriff’s Department Aviation teams also took to the sky to assess current mountain conditions after nearly a week of heavy snowfall that began on Feb. 22.

County firefighters and sheriff’s deputies loaded ready-to-eat meals onto the sheriff’s helicopters for delivery to the communities.

San Bernardino County Fire crews have worked around the clock answering emergencies in the snow covered San Bernardino Mountains. Firefighters responded to seven structure fires in the Lake Arrowhead area in the last five days.
San Bernardino County Fire crews have worked around the clock answering emergencies in the snow covered San Bernardino Mountains. Firefighters responded to seven structure fires in the Lake Arrowhead area in the last five days.

On Friday, sheriff's officials reported that private helicopter company Cal Dart attempted to deliver food and supplies to a supermarket parking lot in Lake Gregory, which was heavily populated with citizens receiving food rations.

Private aircraft are forbidden from landing in declared disaster areas, and Sheriff's Aviation denied permission to land pending coordination with its Emergency Operations Center. Sheriff's officials verified that the aircraft was not a National Guard helicopter and redirected it to an approved landing zone. Ground-based deliveries from Cal Dart are also being escorted up the mountain for distribution.

Anyone wanting to donate food should contact the SBC County hotline at 909-387-3911.

Damage assessment tool available

The SBC Fire Protection District has created an online tool residents can use to report damage to their property. The assessment tool allows home and business owners to document damage not noticeable from an exterior survey.

Information collected by the tool will be shared with local, state, and federal agencies to assist with disaster relief.

The County Damage Assessment Unit may contact residents at their property if the reported damage meets the reporting criteria. The survey will not generate an emergency response.

Shelters and contacts also available

SBC and American Red Cross officials have established an emergency shelter and resource center for mountain residents who cannot get home at Redlands East Valley High School, 31000 E. Colton Avenue in Redlands.

An additional shelter is at Rim of the World High School at 27400 Route 18 in Lake Arrowhead.

The shelter will be staffed around the clock, and resources will be available daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. A call center at 909-387-3911 will operate from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday to provide information.

An American Red Cross worker at a shelter at Rim of the World High School in Lake Arrowhead. Volunteers are providing a safe place to stay, food and drinks.
An American Red Cross worker at a shelter at Rim of the World High School in Lake Arrowhead. Volunteers are providing a safe place to stay, food and drinks.

Department of Behavioral Health Mental Health 24-Hour Helpline is available at 888-743-1478.

The answers to many storm-related questions are available on the county’s FAQ webpage at dpw.sbcounty.gov/operations/snow-removal/FAQ/.

For additional roadway information, visit Caltrans District 8's Facebook and Twitter accounts or the agency's website.

Motorists can plan commutes and view live traffic conditions and planned lane closures by using Caltrans' QuickMap.

For those with sensory disabilities and those needing information in a language other than English, contact Public Affairs at 909-383-4631 or TTY 711.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz.

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Mountain communities continue to dig out after record snow storm