Angels.- At least 12 people have died since storms hit San Bernardino County in southern Californiathe sheriff said, noting that only one was a weather-related death.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said deputies continue to respond to calls for service for residents of the mountain area.
“To date, we have identified 12 deceased individuals,” the department said.
Snow that fell in the San Bernardino Mountains kept dozens of residents from being trapped in their own homes.
The only weather-related fatality was due to a traffic accident. Several calls for service were for officers to perform wellness checks.
The other deaths were not weather-related, but investigations into the causes were continuing.
“We expect to have additional information in the coming days and will provide an update as soon as we have that information,” the department said.
Mountain communities in San Bernardino County have been snowed in for days by relentless storms.
“We currently have over 800 people actively working with hundreds of dedicated snow removal and critical infrastructure teams to ensure it’s safe to travel,” said Justin Correll, communications officer for the San Bernardino County Incident Management Team. .
In a once-in-a-generation weather event, staggering amounts of snow fell on the San Bernardino and San Gabriel mountain ranges in late February, where thousands of people live in forested enclaves.
Southern California Weather Photos: Scenes from the Late February Winter Storm
The areas are popular destinations for hikers and skiers who arrive via steep, winding roads that have been frequently closed due to freezing conditions.
Snow piled above windows and residents on the first floor of many homes were able to go outside to buy groceries from stores with nearly empty shelves or collect boxes of donated food from a distribution center .
Roofs collapsed, cars were buried and roads were blocked. Power has been cut in many communities and authorities have reported possible gas leaks and fires related to the storms.
Following the declaration of a state of emergency, National Guard teams began arriving in San Bernardino County.
Governor Gavin Newsom has declared emergencies in 13 of California’s 58 counties as of March 1 even in San Bernardino County.
As the state continued to dig in after previous storms, another was on the way. Forecasters said an atmospheric river heading north and central California was expected to arrive as early as Thursday morning. The mountain communities of San Bernardino were likely to be spared another heavy snowfall.
The hot storm raised concerns that parts of the state’s extensive snowpack were rapidly melting. Officials said creeks, streams and rivers could rise rapidly, increasing the threat of flooding.