 County LACs serve thousands of mountain residents
More than 2,300 mountain residents from nearly 1,000 households received help from County, state, and volunteer organizations gathered at County-organized Local Assistance Centers in Crestline and Running Springs on Saturday and Sunday.
"Everybody's been really helpful and kind," said Running Springs resident Corinne Jagt. "Having this one big place where you can come and get help rather than trying to sift through whatever you're getting on the internet and Facebook has really been tremendous,"
More than 1,700 mountain residents also received food, water, and household supplies at the two Local Assistance Centers, or LACs.
LACs are one-stop shops offering expert assistance with insurance claims, rebuilding permits, taxes, and a host of other challenges created by the historic late February-early March blizzard.
The LACs operated at Charles Hoffman Elementary School in Running Springs and Valley of Enchantment Elementary School in Crestline to connect mountain residents with a variety of essential County, state, and private sector resources.
The County will operate a LAC in Wrightwood with dates and a location to be announced. The County had planned to operate the Wrightwood LAC on March 28 and 29 but postponed it due to a predicted storm. Watch future editions of this newsletter or check the County's social media platforms or the County's Snow Information website for updates.
Services available at the LACs include building & safety, insurance information, assistance for seniors, public health, tax and property resources, help for veterans, snow removal and reimbursement, advice on hiring contractors, behavioral health, help for small businesses, transitional assistance, employment assistance, legal services, general disaster aid, and more.
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Another storm on the horizon
The National Weather Service reports that more snow is heading toward the San Bernardino and San Gabriel mountains Tuesday through Thursday.
Although the coming storm is not expected to be as strong as other recent storms, all County resources are poised to take action, and residents are urged to take all necessary precautions.
Public Works has more than 100 pieces of snow equipment deployed in the mountains. The County began positioning resources in the mountains and put crews on 24-hour spilt shifts on Monday morning for the duration of the storm and until roads are clear.
The County Office of Emergency Services (OES) is continuously monitoring the weather, coordinating reports, and implementing multiagency coordination calls.
The County is prepared to activate the Telephone Emergency Notification System (TENS) to warn residents who might be in danger.
Residents are encouraged to:
- Limit travel as much as possible. When you do have to travel, do so with caution.
- Maintain at least a two-week supply of food, water, medications, essential equipment, and fuel.
- Monitor weather reports for emergency advisories. Visit the National Weather Service, San Diego, https://www.weather.gov/sgx/ for the latest weather information impacting San Bernardino County
- The TENS system is preloaded with all landline telephone numbers in the county. However, it is updated only every six months and does not include mobile numbers. To ensure you receive TENS alerts, sign up here: http://www.sbcounty.gov/sbcfire/Tens/TensContact.aspx.
Check for updates and helpful information on the County’s Snow Information website, https://snowinfo.sbcounty.gov/; on the County’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/SanBernardinoCounty/; and on Twitter and Instagram, @sbcounty.
  Food distribution extended to March 31 in Crestline
The food distribution center located at the Crestline Library (24105 Lake Gregory Dr.) will remain open every day of the week through Friday, March 31 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or until supplies last. Acceptance of donations has been extended. To donate food and/or supplies, call 909-387-3911.
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