National Guard arrives to San Bernardino mountains to aid in disaster relief efforts

The California National Guard has arrived to Southern California to help with the disaster relief effort underway in the San Bernardino mountains.

Cal Guard helicopters were seen surveying Crestline Thursday afternoon, searching for an area to set up sites to distribute supplies for any rescue efforts. Additionally, the National Guard has sent its "Rattlesnake" unit consisting of 255 soldiers normally dispatched to help fight wildfires.

The military is one of the many assets sent over following a state of emergency declaration issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom Wednesday night.

The declaration frees up resources for 13 counties including San Bernardino and Los Angeles. The governor specifically addressed the massive emergency relief efforts underway in San Bernardino County. 

For almost a week, thousands of residents have been trapped inside their homes in mountain towns like Crestline, Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear. 

In addition to the National Guard, the state will coordinate with Caltrans and the county to bring in additional snow plows, road crews and personnel from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to help with the cleanup effort, according to the emergency proclamation, The governor has also contracted private companies to help remove snow and clear roadways. 

The ordeal began last week when massive amounts of snow blocked the major highways connecting the mountain communities to the outside world. In total, the severe storm over the weekend brought a historic 7 feet of snow to the San Bernardino Mountains.

According to the National Weather Service, Lake Arrowhead received 99 inches of snow and Crestline recorded 91 inches during the following storm on Tuesday. On Monday, the situation became so dire San Bernardino County officials declared a local emergency seeking state and federal help to clear snow from the mountain highways.

Because of the road conditions and the ongoing cleanup efforts, authorities have closed all of the freeways — Highways 18, 38  and 330 — leading into Crestline, Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear. 

In a statement released Thursday, the City of Big Bear Lake said in part: 

As of today, most parts of the City have received four feet or greater of snowfall...As the City is still under snow conditions, parking on all Big Bear Lake streets is prohibited. Homeowners and hosts must ensure driveways and berms are cleared before visiting, noting that snow removal services are currently overwhelmed. 

City officials said updates related to weather events will be on the city's social media pages (Facebook/Instagram: @cityofbigbearlake and Twitter: @CityofBBL). 

According to the county, crews still need to clear 617 miles of road. The county opted to clear the main thoroughfares before working on the smaller roads such as the ones outside of homes in the isolated mountain towns. Despite the efforts, many trapped in the mountain communities have grown increasingly worried as days go by, their supplies dwindle and the roads outside their homes continue to be blocked by several feet of snow. 

"We're out of everything," said Mariam Magana, whose family has been trapped in Crestline for several days. "We have six kids in the house. I don't know what to do. We need help."

Luckily, Magana and her family made it out and reunited with their loved ones at the base of the mountain. 

In the past three years, the California National Guard has been activated a handful of times to assist with efforts involving COVID-19, civil unrest and disaster relief.

San Bernardino County has an emergency hotline for anyone trapped or in need of supplies: (909) 387-3911.