WATCH: State of emergency in California after snow
With Southern California’s mountain communities under a snow emergency, residents are grappling with power outages, roof collapses and lack of basic necessities like baby formula and medicine.
Californians are usually elated to look up and see snow-covered mountains from Los Angeles and drive a couple of hours to sled, ski and snowboard. But what started out as a beautiful sight has become a hazardous nightmare for those renting vacation homes in the scenic, tree-lined communities and for those who live there year-round, according to The Associated Press.
Back-to-back-snowstorms have blanketed the region repeatedly, giving people no time to shovel out, AP reported.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared an emergency in 13 counties late Wednesday and called up the National Guard to assist.
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A stop sign almost completely covered in snow in Big Bear City, Calif., on March 2, 2023.
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Snow-covered mountains surround the city of Los Angeles following a series of winter storms in Los Angeles, March 2, 2023.
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Dog plays in the snow in Big Bear City, Calif., March 2, 2023.
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Daisy Mendez makes a snowman at Mount Baldy, Calif., on March 2, 2023.
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Debris from an avalanche blocks California State Route 38 after a series of snow storms on March 2, 2023 near Big Bear, Calif. San Bernardino County has declared a state of emergency as communities remain buried after a series of blizzards shut down all roads into the mountains, leaving the area running low on gas, food and supplies.
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State Route 138 winds through snow-covered trees near Hesperia, Calif., March 1, 2023.
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The snow-covered San Gabriel Mountains appear behind the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles, on March 2, 2023.
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Ice covers communication towers as massive amounts of snow trap residents of mountain towns in San Bernadino County, Crestline, Calif., March 2, 2023.