For Immediate Release:     
Contact:  Aaron McLear
Lisa Page 916-445-4571

Thursday, December 11, 2008 
 
Gov. Schwarzenegger Directs State Agencies to Prepare for Cold and Wet Winter Weather

With an extremely cold and wet winter storm front headed for California this weekend, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has directed his Office of Emergency Services (OES) to work with other state and local agencies to activate the extreme cold/freeze emergency plan. He also directed the California National Guard to work with local officials to open 10 armories across the state that are now providing vulnerable populations protection from cold weather.

“Extremely cold weather over a long period of time can have a devastating impact on people, animals and our crops,” Governor Schwarzenegger said. “We are taking steps now to make sure we’re ready to help those who are most vulnerable. Every Californian needs to take early precautions – review family emergency plans, monitor the latest weather and traffic reports and listen for any warnings or instructions from local officials.”

The National Weather Service is predicting a significant change in temperatures statewide starting on Friday night and lasting through the beginning of next week. Temperatures could drop by as much as 15-20 degrees below normal for this time of year. As much as one to two inches of rain is expected beginning Sunday and snow elevations are expected to drop as low as 1,000 feet in the Sierra Mountains according to forecasters.

Extreme cold weather conditions have historically had significant health impacts to the medically fragile and homeless, caused damage to agricultural crops and to the industry that supports agriculture, and had major economic impacts to the people who work in the agricultural industry.

OES is conducting daily conference calls with the National Weather Service, California National Guard (CNG), Department of Water Resources, American Red Cross, CaliforniaVolunteers, California Health and Human Services Agency, California Highway Patrol, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and other state agencies and departments to coordinate efforts in anticipation of cold and wet winter weather. 

To be fully prepared for potentially extreme weather conditions, OES is working closely with CNG and other state agencies to evaluate and make resources available in the following ways:


·        CNG will continue to work with local governments to identify additional armories to open for emergency shelters. CNG is also prepared to extend operating hours at armories currently open for a full 24-hour-period if necessary during periods of inclement weather.

 ·        CaliforniaVolunteers is reaching out to local nonprofits who provide services at warming centers to identify volunteer needs and connect them with local volunteer resources.

·        American Red Cross stands ready to work with local jurisdictions to support additional warming centers as necessary.

·        California Health Human Services Agency is coordinating with its Community Services and Development (CSD) department to communicate with its 44 funded agencies that provide temporary shelter services. Additionally during times of extreme weather conditions, these agencies will seek out and provide services to those vulnerable populations who are most at risk and not prepared to cope with the cold conditions. Services to mitigate the effects of the severe cold weather include providing temporary shelter, transportation services to temporary shelters or hotels, providing temporary shelter and hotel vouchers and other services.

·        Caltrans is advising motorists driving in icy, wet or snow conditions to be cautious. Caltrans will also activate their changeable message signs when road conditions are bad and encourage motorists to check road conditions prior to departure and to prepare for emergencies. 

·        The California Department of Food and Agriculture and Labor and Workforce Development Agency are reaching out to their constituency groups to make them aware of the potentially harmful weather.

Californians in at-risk areas should take every precaution to prepare for the upcoming weather, including moving family pets indoors or to an enclosure out of the elements. People should not bring heating devices into the home that are intended for outdoor use, such as barbecues and other cooking equipment or other fuel burning devices.

The 10 armories currently in operation are open daily from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. For more information please contact the California National Guard at 916-854-3304.

For more information about winter weather preparation and tips, visit the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services at www.oes.ca.gov and Caltrans at http://www.dot.ca.gov.