Governor signed an executive order Oct. 27 directing state agencies to prepare Highway 1 and nearby coastal communities for potential El Niño storm impacts; the order was signed at Crystal Cove State Park in Newport Beach, the release said.
The order creates a Highway 1 Task Force led by the California State Transportation Agency and the California Natural Resources Agency to identify vulnerable stretches, recommend priority actions and funding needs, and find ways to complete preventive work faster, the release said.
The release said emergency project expenditures on the Big Sur Highway 1 corridor totaled approximately $312 million from 2020 through 2026; the order focuses on reducing the risk and cost of repeated closures for communities, businesses and emergency response.
Caltrans is inspecting known trouble spots, prepositioning equipment and staging supplies at more than 120 maintenance yards statewide; the release said about 1,300 pieces of winter-operations equipment are available for deployment and crews will transition to continuous storm coverage and 12-hour emergency shifts when needed.
The release listed specific preparedness steps Caltrans is taking, including clearing drainage systems, staging sandbags and sediment-control materials near vulnerable locations, checking snow- and avalanche-control equipment and emergency generators, and positioning storm-response resources for rapid deployment.
The California Highway Patrol urged drivers to check Caltrans QuickMap and local forecasts, slow down on wet roads, avoid cruise control in wet conditions, prepare vehicles by checking tires and wipers, and never drive through floodwater; the release said CHP officers will continue monitoring and responding to weather-related incidents.
Cal OES Director said, "Keeping communities safe means taking action before a storm arrives," and the release said Cal OES will lead coordination among state agencies and support local partners.
California Transportation Secretary , Natural Resources Secretary , Caltrans Director and State Parks Director Armando Quintero offered similar statements in the release about accelerating preparedness, protecting travelers and safeguarding public access along the coast.
State
Gavin Newsom
Governor · Democrat
Named 2 times in this story.
Portrait: Official portrait
State
Caroline Thomas Jacobs
Director, Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES)
Named once in this story.
State
Toks Omishakin
Secretary, California State Transportation Agency
Named once in this story.
Portrait: Toks Omishakin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
State
Wade Crowfoot
Secretary for Natural Resources
Named once in this story.
Portrait: Region 5 Photography, USDA Forest Service / Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
State
Dina El-Tawansy
Director, Caltrans
Named once in this story.
Sources & methodology
This report was written from the primary materials below. Links open at the original publisher.
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