SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today issued an emergency proclamation for Alameda, Amador, Butte, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Madera, Mariposa, Mendocino, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Sierra, Stanislaus, Sutter, Trinity, Tuolumne, and Ventura Counties following a series of storms last month that swept across California, bringing heavy rain, high winds and flooding.
The full text of the emergency proclamation is below:
PROCLAMATION OF A STATE OF EMERGENCY
WHEREAS between March 15 and 27, 2011, a series of severe rainstorms swept across California, bringing high winds and excessive precipitation and flooding; and
WHEREAS these severe storms harmed people and property by damaging public and private facilities, forcing the evacuation of residents, and requiring the opening of emergency shelters; and
WHEREAS these storms caused roads and highways to close as a result of mudflows, debris, floods, and erosion, and also caused a levee to crack; and
WHEREAS these conditions require continuing emergency response, including significant repair and reconstruction work and debris removal; and
WHEREAS the damage caused by this series of storms has impacted numerous California counties, including Alameda, Amador, Butte, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Madera, Mariposa, Mendocino, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Sierra, Stanislaus, Sutter, Trinity, Tuolumne, and Ventura; and
WHEREAS the circumstances of these storms, by reason of their magnitude, are or are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of any single county, city and county, or city and require the combined forces of a mutual aid region or regions to combat; and
WHEREAS under the provisions of section 8558(b) of the California Government Code, I find that conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property exist due to the storm conditions in the counties of Alameda, Amador, Butte, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Madera, Mariposa, Mendocino, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Sierra, Stanislaus, Sutter, Trinity, Tuolumne, and Ventura;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, EDMUND G. BROWN JR., Governor of the State of California, in accordance with the authority vested in me by the state Constitution and statutes, including the California Emergency Services Act, and in particular, section 8625 of the California Government Code, HEREBY PROCLAIM A STATE OF EMERGENCY to exist within the counties of Alameda, Amador, Butte, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Madera, Mariposa, Mendocino, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Sierra, Stanislaus, Sutter, Trinity, Tuolumne, and Ventura.
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT:
1. The California Department of Transportation shall formally request immediate assistance through the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program, 23 U.S.C. section 125, in order to obtain federal assistance for critical highway repairs or reconstruction in the affected counties.
2. All agencies of the state government shall use and employ state personnel, equipment and facilities for the performance of any and all activities consistent with the direction of the California Emergency Management Agency and the State Emergency Plan.
I FURTHER DIRECT that as soon as hereafter possible, this proclamation be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State and that widespread publicity and notice be given of this proclamation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 15th day of April 2011.
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EDMUND G. BROWN JR.
Governor of California
ATTEST:
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DEBRA BOWEN
Secretary of State