# State of Emergency for Southern California After Tropical Storm Rachel

Sacramento, California —

Governor Gavin Newsom has activated California's State Operations Center and proclaimed a state of emergency in four Southern California counties as the state responds to two threats at once: dangerous fire weather arriving with high winds, and cleanup still underway after Tropical Storm Rachel.

**What is happening:** After switching on the State Operations Center, the governor brought the state's top emergency-response officials together to coordinate a full state response. At the same time, he proclaimed emergencies in Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego Counties to speed local recovery from Tropical Storm Rachel. The storm swept across Southern California earlier in the month, dumping heavy rain, driving strong winds, churning up dangerous surf, chewing away at coastlines, flooding low spots, and tearing up roadways. Separately, the governor cleared the way for faster cleanup in Tuolumne County after July's Dove Fire and ordered an accelerated debris-removal effort in Calaveras County after August's Gann Fire.

**Local impacts:** The emergency proclamations unlock state assistance under the California Disaster Assistance Act for the four counties hit by Rachel, and they direct the state's transportation department to formally seek federal highway money for storm-damaged roads and infrastructure. In Tuolumne County, state agencies can now move faster to clear hazardous debris from properties burned in the Dove Fire, which scorched 226 acres and destroyed 12 structures. In Calaveras County, the executive order speeds removal of hazardous debris and environmental restoration after the Gann Fire, which burned more than 10,000 acres and damaged or destroyed over 50 homes and structures. Meanwhile, CAL FIRE is pre-positioning extra firefighters, engines, aircraft, and specialized equipment ahead of Santa Ana winds and Red Flag conditions.

**What to do:**

- Southern California: stay off flooded roads, watch for debris on highways, and heed local road-closure signs while repairs move ahead.

- Fire-weather zones: secure loose outdoor items before the winds pick up, and be ready for possible power shutoffs in Red Flag areas.

- If you live near a burn scar, know that heavy rain can trigger fast-moving mud and debris flows — leave early if water starts rising or hillsides look unstable.

*Source: California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, Oct. 16. Reported by TNW News.*