On Friday, Governor Newsom expanded a state of emergency declaration to include 11 additional California counties, including Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino, damaged by a series of storms in early February. The declaration expansion is to support ongoing recovery from last month’s storms, which produced near-hurricane level wind that knocked down hundreds of power poles and tree limbs. More than 300,000 homes and businesses in California were without power for days. He also requested a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration. If the governor’s request is approved, the presidential declaration would make available federal public assistance funding to help state, tribal and local governments cover emergency response and recovery costs.
