LA council extends local emergency as storm recovery continues

The City Council Wednesday voted to ratify and continue a state of local emergency in Los Angeles as the city recovers from a series of strong storms that brought fierce rain and wind over the past few weeks.

The declaration, issued Friday by Mayor Karen Bass, directs the city’s Emergency Operations Organization to take steps to protect life and property and requests that Gov. Gavin Newsom waive regulations to assist response and recovery efforts. Bass also called for funds under the California Disaster Assistance Act and for the state to expedite local access to other disaster relief programs and resources.

A series of atmospheric rivers has slammed California last week and over the weekend. Areas such as the Hollywood Reservoir saw 5.75 inches of rain on Jan. 9-10. That storm also opened a sinkhole in Chatsworth and closed Mulholland Drive. There were power outages, downed power poles and trees and substantial mud and debris flows.

Newsom declared a statewide emergency on Jan. 4, and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors followed with a local emergency on Jan. 10.