As mountain communities in Southern California slowly emerge from the snow, officials are beginning the daunting task of assessing the damage and death toll.
At least four people were found dead in their home in the Big Bear area of San Bernardino County, said Shannon Dicus, sheriff and county coroner.
But the total death toll could rise. Sheriff Dicus said that at least 11 people have died in the area since February 23, including those receiving care at Bear Valley Community Hospital. However, how many of those deaths were directly related to the blizzard remains unclear as his office has not provided further information on the cases involved and is still reviewing the cases.
The Dicus Sheriff’s Office has so far attributed only the death of a 39-year-old woman to the storm, who was killed in a traffic collision on February 26.
Residents and local leaders have said they were unprepared for the powerful storms that first arrived on February 21 and ended up besieging homes in snow up to 10 feet high. Many people started ran out of food, fuel and medicine. Some of the outages were prolonged, while some fires were attributed to broken gas lines.
County officials have urged stranded residents to call 911 if they are in serious danger and need immediate rescue, but not all people in distress are aware. Sheriff Dicus emphasized that emergency communications systems are working and crews have responded to calls for assistance. It is likely that many more will be found, he said.
“I worry about people we don’t know who need help,” he said.
Mr. Dicus said that while the cause of death of four people found in their home was still being determined, there was no evidence of foul play; Of the three deaths, there was a history of serious medical problems.
California is still digging after a particularly heavy snowfall in recent weeks, even in lower-altitude areas where eye-level embankments are rarely seen. Unusually cold conditions allow snow to fall in more regions, create a winter wonderland in some places and destroy others.
That is expected to change on Thursday when the cold front departs and a warm atmospheric river from the tropics is expected to arrive. Warmer temperatures can help melt drift snow but can also strain the roof by adding weight if the snow absorbs water.
In San Bernardino County, recent snowstorms have devastated mountain towns that are popular vacation destinations for Southern Californians and centers for retirees. Mr. Dicus said the fact that the majority of homes were empty most of the time made it more difficult for emergency workers to determine if someone needed help inside.
“We can’t knock on the door and then kick the door if no one answers,” he said.
However, Mr. Dicus said that 700 firefighters, 60 law enforcement officers, search and rescue teams and volunteers were going door-to-door trying to contact as many of the area’s approximately 40,000 residents. the better. He said there were 90 heavy equipment to help clear the snow. Over the past week, he said, county roads have been paved, allowing residents to go to the area’s only open grocery store and other businesses, and that teams are working to open stores. private roads and driveways.
“We have a lot of boots on the ground,” he said. “I believe we can handle the situation well when we talk.”
However, local officials have said the storms overwhelm them and they learned too late about the extent of the snow. Dan Munsey, San Bernardino County fire chief, said last week that “the weather turned out to be much worse than was ever predicted in Southern California.”
Sheriff Munsey said the county doesn’t have the kind of specialized equipment needed to keep roads clear, and that they are using shovels and construction tractors to supplement the snowmobiles they have.
Many residents have expressed frustration with what they say is the government’s disorganized and slow response since then. And while neighbors and volunteers offer to help clear driveways or deliver food, they worry that some older residents may not be able to seek help.
“The community and neighbors were able to help some of these older people,” said Daphne Salas. “Some of them didn’t have that, and they were left alone.”
Ms. Salas, 50, is a caretaker at home who lives in Lake Arrowhead, one of the resort villages set along narrow roads that zigzag into the mountains. She said she checked on her older clients herself, many of them veterans with no relatives living nearby.
One of her clients died in hospice, she said, and his body hasn’t been moved for four days.
Under clear skies on Wednesday, some residents were trying to resume their normal routine, before more rain or snow.
Philip Simmons, 70, said he and his wife have lived west of Lake Arrowhead for about seven years. They, like the other full-time residents, watched the snow pile up outside their windows, awestruck by the high white wall that almost reached the roof.
“It felt like we were living in an igloo,” he said.
Mr Simmons said the roads were clear enough that he and his wife planned to go grocery shopping on Thursday morning.
“Personally, we are not disappointed,” he said. “It would be great if we had enough money to be fully prepared for everything at all times, but we don’t.”
