Supervisors declare local emergency

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors declared a state of local emergency March 1.

The 5-0 vote ratifies the proclamation of local emergency made by the county’s Chief Administrative Officer on February 24 as the result of the winter storm which began February 18.

Damage assessment surveys are under way, but the county’s Department of Public Works estimates that the February storms caused between $4 million and $6 million of damage to DPW facilities. DPW staff continues to survey areas to determine additional damage, and the county’s Department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures is also continuing to receive reports of damage.

The February storms caused approximately $250,000 of reported agricultural damage, although AWM officials noted that some damage might not have been reported. The February damage brings the county’s total reported agricultural loss since January to approximately $1.75 million, and the January storms caused some nurseries to move and fortify crops, thus reducing the damage from the February storms. Much of the damage in February occurred to strawberry crops, and since avocados and citrus fruit have not yet blossomed the rains are expected to be beneficial to those crops.

The county’s Department of Parks and Recreation incurred erosion control issues and will need to dig out sedimentation buildup in culverts and refurbish or replace some existing erosion control devices. Some trail damage has occurred due to the creation of large ruts. Four county parks — Wilderness Gardens in Pala, Hellhole Canyon in the Valley Center area, Volcan Mountain in the Julian area, and Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve — have been closed due to the February storms.

The flooding, mudslides, and other damage have also caused additional damage to non-agricultural private property. The county’s proclamation of a local emergency is a prerequisite to a request to Governor Schwarzenegger and President Bush to issue state and Federal proclamations, which would allow state and Federal disaster assistance programs to be provided.

The proclamation of local emergency also provides legal immunity to the county, cities, special districts, and public employees for emergency actions taken and allows authorized county officials to take any preventative measures necessary to preserve public health and safety.

With many reservoirs at or near capacity and the ground saturated, additional rainfall is likely to place added burdens on the drain and reservoir systems. The proclamation of local emergency is in effect until March 22, which is also the date of the next scheduled Board of Supervisors meeting. The supervisors have the option to continue the state of emergency at that meeting, and the state of local emergency may also be terminated earlier if conditions warrant.

The county’s Director of Emergency Services is authorized to proclaim a local emergency if the Board of Supervisors is not in session, although the supervisors must ratify the proclamation within seven days.