As a major storm is set to arrive in Southern California over the weekend with a significant amount of rainfall, the City of LA is mobilizing resources for any emergencies, according to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
"This is an all-hands-on-deck effort," Bass said. "The Department of Water and Power is standing by for any outages or electrical emergencies. Street Service has emergency trucks on standby to keep the streets clear and safe."
The City's homeless department officials are also doing outreach work to the unhoused, especially near the LA River and areas that are at risk for high floods.
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"The city and the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority have increased shelter and housing voucher availability to accommodate an influx of people coming in from the storm," Bass said.
The LA mayor also said there would be more shelters opening by 5 p.m. Saturday. Residents can call 211 to request transportation to a shelter.
"I am confident we will weather this storm because, once again, the city is preparing and informing, and we have confidence that Angelenos will come together and take common-sense precautions, such as staying home and off the roads," Bass said.
L.A. city Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said the city is sending teams to areas near the L.A. River in an effort to encourage unhoused individuals to seek shelter. The city's Community Emergency Response Teams will be equipped and ready to respond to non-life threatening emergencies.
To further prepare residents for the storm, fire stations across the county have been handing out free sandbags. Additionally, anyone who encounters downed power lines should report them to the Department of Water and Power at 1-800-DIAL-DWP.
For more information on the weather emergency, click here.
The incoming storm is forecast to deliver measurable rain across SoCal, with most areas seeing 3 to 6 inches of rain while the foothills and low-elevation mountains face 6 to 12 inches.
