{"id":70077,"date":"2025-01-22T16:35:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-23T00:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=70077"},"modified":"2025-01-22T16:35:00","modified_gmt":"2025-01-23T00:35:00","slug":"governor-newsom-deploys-specialized-debris-flow-teams-to-southern-california-ahead-of-wet-weather","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=70077","title":{"rendered":"Governor Newsom deploys specialized debris flow teams to Southern California ahead of wet weather"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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5,650 super sacks, hundreds of personnel ready to protect communities<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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What you need to know:<\/strong>\u00a0Governor Gavin Newsom today announced proactively positioning crews to protect Los Angeles burn scar areas during wet weather.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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LOS ANGELES<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013\u00a0With anticipated rain in the forecast, Governor Gavin Newsom is mobilizing the full-force of the state government to protect recent burn scar areas and prepare for mudslides.<\/span><\/p>\n

Through proactive coordination across various departments and agencies, highly trained teams and specialized equipment are prepositioning to help protect the communities and natural resources impacted by the recent firestorms in Los Angeles from possible debris flows.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cEven before we saw rain on the horizon in Los Angeles, I directed my departments and agencies to act fast to protect neighborhoods from potentially hazardous debris flows.\u00a0<\/span>By stationing resources and staff in key locations, we can help make a difference as we transition from fire response to storm preparedness.\u201d<\/h4>\n
Governor\u00a0Gavin Newsom<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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The forecasted rain is a reminder of how quickly conditions can change. In January 2018, 23 people died from the devastating mudslides in Montecito that occurred from the Thomas Fire burn scar.\u00a0<\/span>Boulders the size of houses, carried by the strength of rushing mud 15 feet deep, had ravaged homes, reducing many to splintered two-by-fours, or leveled them completely.<\/p>\n

Burn scar areas are particularly vulnerable to heavy rain. Without vegetation to anchor the soil, heavy rainfall can lead to sudden and fast-moving debris flows, which can destroy homes, block roads, and pose serious risks to life and property. The\u00a0<\/span>state also works closely with its partners to prevent toxic runoff from entering waterways by installing physical filtration barriers.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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Identifying needs<\/h2>\n

Through the California Governor\u2019s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) Watershed and Debris Flow Taskforce, the state is coordinating with multiple agencies and departments to address critical post-fire recovery and mitigation efforts.<\/p>\n

CAL FIRE and the Department of Conservation, through their Watershed Emergency Response team, are working with top officials leading the review for flood and landslide risks after the fire. The Department of Conservation has mobilized 12 geologists locally to identify mudslide and debris flow risks through site visits and lidar detection, while the Department of Water Resources (DWR) has over 30 watershed experts and engineers arriving to direct the on-the-ground work to protect downstream communities.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday, the Governor stopped by CAL FIRE and CDCR conservation camp crews filling sandbags that will be placed in firestorm-affected areas to help protect against potential flooding and mudslides. On Monday, Governor Newsom\u00a0<\/span>issued an executive order<\/a>\u00a0to help mitigate this risk and protect communities by hastening efforts to remove debris, bolster flood defenses, and stabilize hillsides in affected areas.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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Resources on the ground\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

The state is currently prepositioning flood resources and conducting educational outreach to local communities. DWR has 10 flood fight material stockpiles located in Southern California with materials at the ready to deploy 5,650 super sacks, 271,000 burlap sandbags, 777 plastic sheeting rolls, 17,790 wood stakes, among other items.<\/span><\/p>\n

More than 400 members from the California Conservation Corps will be working on watershed protection at firestorm burn scar areas to place silt fencing, straw wattles, and compost socks to act as physical barriers to filter contaminants found in rainwater runoff. More Corpsmembers will be trained to augment capacity in the coming days. In addition, over 80 California National Guard service members from the 649th Engineering Company are en route with 2 dozers, 1 excavator, 1 loader, 4 dump trucks and other engineering assets to haul 527,000 cubic yards of materials in local debris basins.<\/span><\/p>\n

\nStaying safe<\/span><\/h2>\n