CALIFORNIA—According to reports, a state of emergency was issued on March 7 across counties in the state of California, including Los Angeles County, by Governor Jerry Brown after the state suffered heavy damage following the storms in January and February.

As part of the emergency, Caltrans officials will request for help through the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program to obtain federal funds for “highway repairs or reconstruction.”

The Office of Emergency Services will also assist in the recovery efforts of counties affected in the late January storms. Governor Brown sent a letter to The White House requesting a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration. The letter stated that the powerful storms that struck during January 18 thru January 23, with the record-breaking rainfall “resulted in numerous rivers, creeks and streams again exceeding flood stages throughout California” and contributed to localized mud and rock flows.

Governor Brown stressed the need to establish emergency evacuation shelters after heavy winds caused widespread power outages.

Two other Presidential Major Disaster Declarations were granted last month after the early January storms caused damages to the Oroville Dam. In both emergency proclamations, Brown highlighted the need to “secure funding to help communities respond to and recover from severe storms that have caused flooding, mudslides, erosion, debris flow and damage to roads and highways.”