Although the snow in the San Bernardino Mountains is a tempting tourist destination for nature lovers, authorities have requested that they not be visited this weekend.
The San Bernardino National Forest issued an emergency closure order from March 3-16 due to heavy snowfall that wreaked havoc on the area.
“This emergency forest-wide closure is necessary to protect public safety following severe winter storms that impacted the region this week, prompting the Governor of California to declare a state of emergency for mountain communities of San Bernardino County,” according to the emergency declaration.
Affected areas include all of the mountains in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
“Roads are impassable in parts of the forest and emergency response is difficult due to the extreme amount of snow that has fallen. Avalanches have been reported in the area. Residents of communities in and around the Bosque have remained stranded and lack food and water,” the order added.
For its part, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department (SBSD) emphatically stated, “If you were planning on visiting our local mountains for fun this weekend, change your plans.”
The SBSD also said that access to the area will be open “only to residents and emergency teams”.
The inhabitants of the area have joined the call of the authorities, because the emergency situation in which they find themselves has cut them off and has not even allowed them to access supermarkets to access gasoline, food and other supplies.
San Bernardino County has declared a state of emergency to respond to historic snowfall.
“We are working to ensure public safety and to assess the damage caused by winter storms,” Forestry Supervisor Danelle D. Harrison said. “Due to limited access and deteriorating conditions, it will take several weeks before the forest is fully operational. With communities facing a lack of energy and resources, visiting these mountain communities exercises additional pressure on resources that are already scarce.”
Currently, law enforcement officers from various agencies, including the Sheriff’s Department, Caltrans and National Guard officers, are performing various tasks in the area to clear roads and restore services to affected communities.