Storm Response Info Hub
Rim of the World Unified School District
Dear ROWUSD Families,
I hope this information finds you safe and well. Things are getting much better around the mountain. We are exiting the emergency phase and entering into the recovery phase. Recovery for so many of our mountain residents, businesses, and agencies will take some time.
Here is some critical information for all of you.
State of Emergency:
We are on day 14 of this State Emergency
Highway Open to Residents:
Residents must provide identification and or utility bill NOTE: Thank you to Senator Ochoa-Boa for assisting Bill Mellinger and myself in getting the road open to residents.
This has eased the burden to get food and needed medical supplies/medication for many residents.
ROWUSD Reopening Plan
REOPENING UPDATE:
ROWUSD schools will remain closed on Thursdays due to recent weather and road conditions as local agencies address critical points affected along the bus routes. Safety remains our primary focus at this time.
CALENDAR UPDATE:
Spring Break April 3-7, NO SCHOOL. School will be in session on March 29, 30, 31, and May 18, 19, and 26 due to using all built-in snow days.
HOW TO HELP
DONATE
Thousands of Southern California blizzard victims need your immediate help! As you’ve seen on the news, historic snowstorms have devastated San Bernardino mountain communities, bringing death and destruction to both residents and businesses. Intense back-to-back storms have dumped as much as 5-8 feet of snow, burying these isolated communities and requiring the help of over 500 emergency personnel, including firefighters, law enforcement and utility workers. Many are still without power and have little to no access to food. They need our help NOW! Your compassionate donation can save lives and restore hope. Please donate today.
Please deliver all in-kind donations to:
Sandals Church of San Bernardino
3701 N Sierra Way
San Bernardino, CA 92404
Here is a list of critically needed food and other items…
- Batteries
- Canned goods
- Cat litter
- Diapers
- Dried fruit
- Dry goods
- Family Meal Kits
- Feminine products
- Baby Formula
- Gallon size bags
- Gloves
- Juice boxes
- Laundry Detergent
- Packaged Foods
- Pet food
- Shovels
- Snack bars
- Solar Chargers
- Toilet paper
- Toiletries
- Vegetarian/Vegan foods
Volunteer your specialized services with Sandals Church.
Volunteer at food distribution sites with Operation Mountain Strong.
Volunteer to help your neighbors. See who is in need on the Mountain Mutual Aid Map.
FEDERAL DISASTER ZONE DECLARATION
On March 10, 2023 President Joseph R Biden, Jr authorized a declaration of Emergency Maintenance for 21 counties in the state of California, including San Bernardino. This Emergency Maintenance declaration will assist the state in mitigating damages from the pair of incoming Atmospheric Rivers that are forecasted for California. With this declaration, our community moves one step closer to receiving the much needed financial disaster relief we have been advocating for.
Following the Emergency Maintenance declaration, we can anticipate a Federal Major Disaster Declaration followed by a Small Business Authority Declaration. The dates and context of these proceeding declarations will let us know what type of relief will be available to our community.
We look forward to sharing these declarations and what they mean to Crestline as soon as they becomes available.
PROVIDE DATA ABOUT YOUR FINANCIAL LOSS
Help us, help you! The County is gathering data to help expand our community’s eligibility for disaster relief programs through the State and Federal government. There are 2 surveys you can take that will help us receive the much needed disaster relief we need:
- County Fire Damage Assessment – for residents and businesses
- Business Loss Survey (coming soon) – for businesses, independent contractors, vendors, and the self-employed
*These forms are for data-gathering purposes only and is NOT an application for assistance.
HOW TO GET HELP
COUNTY STORM RESPONSE HOTLINE
If you are experiencing an emergency, please call 911.
If you need assistance with snow removal, food delivery, medication, or any other time sensitive storm related matter, please call (909) 387-3911.
TRASH DROP-OFF SITES
FLOODING PREVENTION
DISASTER RELIEF PROGRAMS
FOOD DISTRIBUTION
Visit https://operationmountainstrong.com/ for the most up to date Food Distribution locations and times.
The Crestline Chamber of Commerce would like to thank Hera the Dog Vodka for their generous donation to our communities in the wake of this storm. This Herculean effort to support pets, farm animals, and pet guardians included truckloads of food, grains, hay, straw and specialty items distributed from Cedarpines Park through Running Springs.
If you are in need of alphalfa, hay, straw, chicken feed, goat feed, reptile food, dog food, or cat food please email the Crestline Chamber of Commerce at info@crestlinechamber.org and we will assist with arrangements.
*as supplies last
TRANSPORTATION
All routes are currently running limited services but we are looking to expand everyday. For latest alerts, routes, and information, please visit Mountain Transit website.
Board of Supervisors directs relief for owners of blizzard-damaged property
Mountain property owners looking to rebuild or repair damage wrought by the recent record-setting blizzard are now entitled to some major relief, thanks to action taken today by the Board of Supervisors.
The Board unanimously voted to waive up to $5,000 in County plan review and permit fees for property owners looking to repair or rebuild structures damaged or destroyed by the historic snowfall. The waiver is available for each structure and will be funded by $500,000 of the $10 million Emergency Response Fund the Board created on March 1 to address the impacts of the storm.
“This waiver is important for the recovery of our mountain communities. As our businesses and residents rebuild, we need to ensure that we eliminate as many additional burdens as possible,” said Board of Supervisors Chair Dawn Rowe, whose Third District bore the brunt of the blizzard.
“I’ll keep pushing for additional resources for our mountain residents, who continue to impress me with their courage and resilience,” Rowe said.
The county’s mountain communities received an unprecedented amount of snowfall in a series of storms that began on Feb. 22. Homes, businesses and other structures were damaged by the weight of the snow, which exceeded what they were designed to withstand.
With many assessments still to be made, County inspectors have red-tagged 29 structures as too damaged to be inhabited and yellow-tagged 27 damaged structures, allowing for limited occupancy. These numbers are expected to grow as assessments continue.
The County’s Land Use Services Department has created a Storm Response Team focused on supporting the public in the repair and rebuilding of their structures damaged by the extreme snowstorm event. The team will ensure that the plan review and permit process for impacted residents will be expedited to the fullest extent possible.
The rebuilding waivers approved today are the latest in a series of County relief efforts for the mountain communities. The County is also operating:
Five Commodity Points of Distribution to provide mountain residents with free food, water and other necessary supplies.
A donations program to channel relief from donors ranging from national corporations to individuals.
A prescription delivery program that ensures prescribed medications reach mountain residents who cannot travel to a pharmacy.
A snow-removal reimbursement program that reimburses residents and businesses up to $500 for the cost of hiring a professional to remove snow from their properties.
Information on these and other programs and everything else related to the blizzard recovery effort is available at San Bernardino County Snow Information or by calling the County’s Storm Help Line at 909-387-3911.
