Rain is on the way - Be prepared!
 Rain is expected to fall on the county’s snow-impacted mountain communities in the coming days. While San Bernardino County Public Works and County Fire crews prepare for this next round of precipitation, they are also warning residents to take measures to be prepared.
The coming rain is likely to quickly melt much of the snow, creating the threat of flooding. The rain could also add weight to snow perched on rooftops, increasing the threat of collapse. Showers could also loosen roof-top snow that has turned to ice, causing it to slide off in heavy, dangerous sheets.
San Bernardino County urges residents to clear snow from their roofs and from around their homes; stock up on food, water and medications; utilize sandbags; and beware of falling snow and ice.
A limited supply of sandbags will be available at all County Fire District fire stations. Homeowners should not depend on this supply and plan to purchase bags home improvement and hardware stores. Purchase sandbags early and make them a part of your emergency supplies so they will be available when you need them.
Additional sandbag information can be found on County Fire’s website. Watch County Fire Battalion Chief Mike Wakoski discuss the appropriate use of sandbags.
County offers reimbursements of up to $500 for snow removal
Paying someone to remove snow from private property can be expensive, especially in communities that saw up to 10 feet of snowfall.
The County is using a portion of the $10 million set aside by the Board of Supervisors to reimburse residents and businesses up to $500 to help cover what they've spent on professional snow removal.
There are some requirements, including the submission of photos of the completed work. See details in the flyer below.
 Firefighters to the rescue in San Bernardino County!
Firefighters consistently emerge as key heroes during any emergency or disaster, and the record-setting San Bernardino County blizzards of 2023 were no exception. We were fortunate to capture just a few exploits on video.
County firefighters stopped to help a resident who was working to help his neighbors dig his truck out from under a mountain of snow. Another team of firefighters came to the rescue of a couple that had also lost their vehicle in a pile of snow.
At Rim of the World High School, County firefighters could again be found clearing out snow, this time to help the County establish a shelter for mountain residents in need.
Please join San Bernardino County in thanking our firefighters and all of the other community heroes who have helped our mountain communities in their time of need.
 County crews continue to make progress clearing roads
Nearly all roads for which the County is responsible for maintenance have been made passable. See highlights of today's progress in this video. County crews have begun to revisit roads they have previously serviced to create second lanes.
Mountain Transit will get you down the hill
Mountain Transit has resumed service on Route 5 from Big Bear and Route 5 from Running Springs. Both routes take passengers to San Bernardino and are presently limited to essential travel for mountain residents.
Please visit MountainTransit.org for schedules and maps of service routes.
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Food continues to be available at the County’s Commodity Points of Distribution
The County recognizes that food has been hard to come by in our mountain communities. That’s why the County is making free food available to mountain residents at sites in Wrightwood, Running Springs, Blue Jay, Crestline, and the Valley of Enchantment. The County served 729 people today! For details, see the flyer below.
 If you smell something, say something!
If you smell natural gas, call Southern California Gas or 911. Do not turn off your own gas service, because it might be quite some time before the Gas Company can turn service back on.
 U.S. Postal Service reopens three mountain locations
Service has resumed at three United States Post Office facilities that have been closed since snowstorms affected their respective communities.
- Crestline Post Office, 23921 Lake Drive, Crestline
- Skyforest Post Office, 951 Kuffel Canyon Road, Skyforest
- Twin Peaks Post Office, 753 Rose Lane, Twin Peaks
Post Offices in Blue Jay, Lake Arrowhead, and Rimforest will remain closed until further notice.
County donation program is seeing results
Many donations from generous people and organizations with generous hearts have been received through the County's Storm Response donations program.
Residents in our mountain communities are in need of the public’s help to recover from the storms for weeks to come. The following is an example of donations that residents need:
- Canned goods
- Non-perishable foods
- Sanitary Supplies such as toilet paper, diapers, wipes, paper towels
- Dry goods
- Baby formula
- Water
There are two ways to donate:
1. During the business hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. donors may call our hotline at (909) 387-3911, press option 2, and speak to a live representative that will coordinate your donation.
After the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., donors may click on the following link: San Bernardino County Storm Response Emergency Donations or scan the QR Code to provide information regarding donations. A County team member will reach out to donors to coordinate next steps if the specific services or items are needed at this time.
2. Cash donations will be received by the Red Cross. You can help people affected by disasters like storms and countless other crises by making a gift to Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small. Visit redcross.org, call 800-RED-CROSS, or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Please indicate San Bernardino County Storm Disaster Relief.
The need for donations will evolve with the conditions in the mountains. If donors do not receive a response from us, the donation may not be needed at this time.
The County will soon establish locations where mountain residents can access these donations.
Thank you for your support. Together we stand strong.
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