SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that, within hours of California’s request, the White House has approved a Presidential Emergency Declaration authorizing federal assistance to support the state and local response to continuous storms impacting much of the state.

“We are grateful for President Biden’s swift action to provide more resources and assistance to Californians reeling from back-to-back storms,” said Governor Newsom. “We also thank all the heroic first responders working tirelessly to save lives in these dangerous and challenging conditions. California will continue to work day and night with local, state and federal partners to protect and support our communities.”

The Presidential Emergency Declaration enables impacted counties to immediately access Direct Federal Assistance to help protect public safety and property, including generators, road clearance equipment and sheltering or mass care assistance as needed.

With storms forecasted to continue through mid-March, the Governor this week proclaimed a state of emergency in 21 counties to support disaster response and relief efforts, following the state of emergency he proclaimed in an initial 13 counties earlier this month.

California is mobilizing personnel and resources to storm-impacted communities throughout the state. Details on the ongoing response and information on staying safe during the storms can be found here.

Ahead of more severe storms expected in the coming days, Caltrans is urging residents to avoid unnecessary travel in affected areas, more information is available here.