San Joaquin County has declared a local emergency because of the recent storm damage. The county is estimating the losses in the millions of dollars.
The local emergency allows the county to better use its resources to combat the flood and storm damage.
The county will be submitting to the state its estimate of those losses by Wednesday in the hope of state or federal aid.
San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services Director Mike Cockrell says the county has already seen two levee breaks so far and more are at risk.
“And they’re seeing some sinkholes and reduction of the quality of the levees, so again that’s why they’re putting all this heavy concrete riprapping and plastic and sandbags on the top of the levees to try to stabilize them,” says Cockrell.
Cockrell also says the wind has been a major factor causing trees and power poles to topple along with floodwaters causing roadway erosion.
San Joaquin is now one of 20 counties so far to declare a local emergency this month, according to Cockrell.
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