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A number of local counties are included in a State of Emergency, as winter storms slam the state.
Amador, El Dorado, Placer, and Sacramento Counties are among the 20 listed in Governor Newsom's declaration. It's expected to speed up response and recovery as record snow and rainfall knock out power and shut down freeways. Caltrans also issued a press release urging drivers to avoid non-essential travel to the Sierra due to record snowfall. Help has been brought in from all over to clear the roads and drivers are told not to travel to the mountains. Crews are also watching areas burned by wildfires for possible mudflows or flash floods. Some rescues and evacuations have already happened.
In the Sierra Nevada, record-breaking snowfall brought communities to a standstill as storms cut power to tens of thousands of residents and officials urged residents and visitors to stay off mountain roads until conditions improve according to The Los Angeles Times.