WILLITS, 3/3/21 — A major winter storm swept through Mendocino County and across Northern California in late January, closing highways and backroads, resulting in myriad collisions, and leaving thousands without power for over a week as PG&E crews worked to repair downed lines and equipment across the state.
These winter conditions mirrored those that Mendocino County residents have faced during wildfire season: outages, road closures, limited transportation, and a cascade of public health and economic difficulties. And this year’s limited rainfall augurs badly for the upcoming fire season. What have local agencies, officials, and county residents learned, and are they prepared for the next natural disaster or emergency?
To address these questions, the Willits Economic Localization group (WELL) will be holding a virtual community forum on March 14, moderated by District 3 Supervisor John Haschak, with representatives from local fire safe councils, Cal Fire, local fire departments, police agencies, and PG&E. The forum will take place 3 p.m.–5 p.m., and will include time for questions from the public.
Here’s the announcement and information about how to participate from WELL:
Public Zoom Forum Sunday, Mar. 14, 2021, 3-5 PM featuring:
County & Local Fire Safe Councils, Rural Subdivisions and First Responders
The intense snow and wind storm of Jan. 26-27, 2021, wreaked havoc in the Willits area, with thousands of people stranded and without power for up to a week and leaving damage that will take months to remedy. Residents and first-responders are worried about the added fire hazard posed by all the downed trees, and – after our horrible wildfires last summer – we face potentially worse conditions this year.
What have we learned from these events? What can we do to be better prepared for the next disasters?
WELL (Willits Economic Localization) is hosting a Zoom Public Forum on Mar. 14, 3pm, to provide an update on the damage & repairs from the Jan. 26-27 storms and to help identify the resources and plans for addressing future emergencies.
In addition to hearing from our local Firesafe Councils, we will have First Responders to answer questions, including: *CalFire & Local Fire Departments; *Sheriff & Police, *PG&E. The forum will be moderated by 3rd District Supervisor John Haschak.
To join the Zoom meeting: https://tinyurl.com/f7ak621b
Or email [email protected] or call (707) 459-1493 for other options to join this virtual public forum.