California is facing a difficult stretch. After a weekend in which an "atmospheric river" left six dead and more than 330,000 people without electricity, the state is still suffering the consequences of the arrival of new storms. For that reason, Governor Gavin Newsom submitted a request to Joe Biden to sign a Presidential Emergency Declaration to support ongoing storm response and recovery efforts.
During a press conference, Newsom announced that they were "anticipating some very intense weather" that began this Sunday and will extend through Tuesday. The new storm, he said, could cause problems for residents, so he recommended that they follow instructions from their local government: "Don't test fate. Just a foot of water and your car's floating, you know, half a foot of water and you're off your feet. Half a foot of water, you're losing control of your vehicle."
Hours later, via his Twitter profile, the governor warned Californians of the arrival of new winter storms accompanied by strong winds and heavy rains. In the same tweet, he also reminded citizens that he was in contact with the White House to ensure that those affected received the necessary assistance:
California -- we’re expecting another round of serious winter storms to hit tonight.
Strong winds. Heavy rain.
We’re in close contact with the @WhiteHouse to ensure we have the aid we need as we prepare on the ground.
Listen to warnings from local officials and stay safe. pic.twitter.com/0xjsRjfcMj
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) January 9, 2023
Newsom was not alone in alerting residents of the havoc of the new storm. The National Weather Service also assured that the worst will arrive during Monday afternoon and evening. According to the agency, Northern California is expected to experience "damaging winds" extending into Tuesday where citizens could experience "widespread power outages, downed trees and difficult driving conditions."
Damaging winds will return again later this evening through tomorrow as the next winter storm arrives to interior #NorCal.
Expect widespread power outages, downed trees and difficult driving conditions.
Now is the time to prepare if you have not already! #CAwx pic.twitter.com/uyDfClarYs
— NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) January 9, 2023
More than $200 million to prevent long-term flooding in California
The California governor also announced that he would allocate more than $202 million for long-term flood prevention. A Telemundo report detailed the state's struggle with these "atmospheric rivers" that have killed 12 people since Dec. 27.
For that reason, after Newsom declared a state of emergency last week, he also assured that the next state budget would include an amount earmarked to help with the damage caused by storms like this one in California:
We are in the middle of a deadly barrage of winter storms – and California is using every resource at its disposal to protect lives and limit damage. We are taking the threat from these storms seriously, and want to make sure that Californians stay vigilant as more storms head our way.
