Mayor Karen Bass declared a local state of emergency Monday in response to the historic storm pummeling Los Angeles.
Bass and L.A. Fire Chief Kristin Crowley caught up with KNX News Chief Correspondent Charles Feldman while on their way to Encino, which has seen some of the heaviest damage.
“The emergency continues, and we've had a lot of flooding, mudslides, et cetera, and we need for people to stay home and stay informed,” Bass said.
Crowley said her biggest concern is the threat of landslides, which can happen days or even weeks after heavy rain.
“We need to keep our guard up and understand that just because the rain stops over the next few days, we have to be very vigilant and ensure that we're prepared for the worst,” she said.
Bass urged residents to heed evacuation orders, noting that emergency responders have already had to rescue residents who chose not to leave their homes until it was too late.
“If there's a knock on your door or you hear a message that you need to evacuate, please evacuate,” she said. “We have places for you to go, but we need for you to leave so that you do not have to be rescued.”
She added that while Angelenos may not be used to dangerous rain, “with climate change it's a new day, and we have to get used to extreme weather events.”
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Bass also defended the Los Angeles Unified School District’s decision to keep schools open Monday, saying that many parents still had to go to work today despite the hazardous road conditions.
“The other thing that we have to keep in mind, that we certainly learned during the pandemic, is a number of families rely on the school district for food,” she added.
According to Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, more than 60% of LAUSD students attended school today.
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