Newsom announces state of emergency for those impacted by winter storm in California

FRESNO, Calif. (KMPH) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday announced a state of emergency for those recently impacted by a severe winter storm in California.

The declaration will help with disaster relief for those in the following areas: Amador, Kern, Los Angeles, Madera, Mariposa, Mono, Nevada, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Sierra, Sonoma and Tulare counties. It will expedite life-saving support to people.

The state is also contracting with private companies to accelerate snow removal and clear roadways and is coordinating with investor-owned utilities to rapidly restore power.

The National Weather Service said last week's storm was one of the strongest to ever hit southwest California. At one point, over 120,000 residents were without electricity, according to PowerOutage.us.