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San Bernardino County declares state of emergency as communities remain buried after record-breaking snowfall
Californians stranded by snow in mountain communities are desperately digging out after a “once-in-a-generation” winter storm, even as more snow is forecast for the end of the week.
In the most recent wild season in the US, twisters hit the other end of the country, in Texas and Louisiana.
Forecasters are warning of more severe weather in the southern Plains and in areas of Arkansas and Mississippi.
Storm systems cause widespread power outages across the country.
On Wednesday night, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for 13 counties to push the pace of disaster response and relief.
Power outages continued to affect parts of the state with more than 51,000 without power as of Thursday night, according to the tracking site poweroutage.us.
The state’s popular Yosemite National Park is closed indefinitely after last week’s snowfall.
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In San Bernardino County east of Los Angeles, around-the-clock snow removal continues, but it could take more than a week to reach some areas.
The California National Guard has arrived to assist disaster relief efforts in the San Bernardino mountains, according to CBS News, the BBC’s US affiliate network.
Cal Guard helicopters were seen surveying Crestline Thursday afternoon, looking for a place to set up sites to distribute supplies for any rescue efforts, it said.
Many residents remain trapped in their homes there. The county has set up a hotline for residents dealing with issues such as frozen pipes, roof problems and food shortages.
Mariam Magana and her family have been snowed in at their Crestline Airbnb for almost a week – and their food rations are running low, she told CBS News, the BBC’s US affiliate.
“Our three-day vacation turned into a nightmare,” he said.
Their cars were buried in 7ft of snow, and they called the county’s emergency line and the California Highway Patrol – but help never came.
She said they were also concerned about access to medication after her children used the same EpiPens — prescribed to people with potentially severe allergies — they had.
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Some areas of California faced up to 7 feet of snow
One resident shared photos of his nearly six-mile trek through the snow for groceries on Twitter.
To feed his family of five, he used a raft to deliver supplies.
The National Weather Service (NWS) is predicting rain and more heavy mountain snows to return to northern California on Saturday.
The NWS is also warning of widespread damaging winds, large hail, and tornadoes in the southern part of the country.
“Flash flooding will also be possible from northern Texas and eastern Oklahoma into Arkansas and the middle Mississippi Valley,” the NWS said in its latest forecast.
More than 345,000 homes and businesses in Texas were without power Thursday night.
The same forecast predicts record heat will continue in parts of Florida on Friday.
Watch: Spectacular carpets of snow surround hurricane-ravaged California
