Gov. Newsom extends state of emergency to include Orange County due to winter storms

California Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday added Orange County to a lengthy list of regions that have been heavily impacted by the series of powerful winter storms that have slammed the Golden State in recent months. 

Along with Orange County, Newsom added Alpine and Trinity Counties to the list, which has now grown to include 43 of the 58 counties inside of California. 

Just last week, Newsom first issued the state of emergency as a number of areas were suffering severe aftereffects of a massive storm that dumped feet of snow and precipitation throughout the state. That first declaration included 13 counties like San Bernardino and Los Angeles. 

The declaration has grown to include the majority of the state's counties in recent days due to the overwhelming amount of recovery efforts currently underway. 

"With storms forecasted through mid-March, California continues to mobilize personnel and resources to impacted communities across California," a statement from the Governor's Office said.

With seemingly no end in sight, residents up and down the Golden State are still reeling from the impact of the uncharacteristically wet season, in which 11 atmospheric rivers are said to have hit since the start of 2023. 

Damage caused by flooding and debris flows, residents trapped inside their homes by massive amounts of snow and considerable road repairs are just of the few of the most pressing issues that remain to be taken care of with yet another pair of storms expected in the next seven days. 

On Friday, President Joe Biden approved the emergency declaration, authorizing federal assistance for the impacted regions.