County makes progress toward storm recovery

San Bernardino County this week continued to serve mountain residents impacted by the recent blizzard and made continued progress in returning life on the mountain to normal.

After having cleared a path through all 516 miles of County-maintained roads in a little over a week, County Public Works crews this week widened nearly every one of those roads to two lanes and cleared paths for school buses so classes could resume. Many non-County maintained roads have also been cleared as well, making a total of 764 miles of roads serviced by the County during the emergency. County crews did this while also preparing the mountains and the rest of the county to weather an upcoming series of rainstorms.

The work involved ensuring 150 high-priority culverts were clear, which wasn’t easy considering many were hidden by massive snow berms. Crews relied on GIS technology and historical photos to find many of the culverts. Public Works teams also cleared out debris basins and made sure channels and other waterways were clear.

As a result of the storms, many roads are showing signs of damage with new cracks and potholes. Public Works crews are aware of the damage and will begin making repairs after the roads dry out in the spring. Residents are encouraged to use the See Click Fix app to report road damage. The app can be download at the Google Play or Apple App stores.

Meanwhile, the Board of Supervisors made life a lot easier for those whose homes and businesses were damaged by tons of snow by voting unanimously to waive up to $5,000 in County planning and building fees for each property that gets repaired or replaced.

“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.”

Funding approved by the Board is also making it possible for the County to reimburse residents up to $500 toward the cost of removing snow from their property. A complete list of resources and links is available on the County Snow Information website.

Rainstorms are expected this weekend and again next week. Residents are urged to be prepared and make sure they are signed up for emergency notifications and also download the SB Ready app. Residents can do both on the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District website.