SAN DIEGO – Preparations are underway for an air river heading to the area.
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced Friday that 8,300 personnel are on standby to lend a hand during the cold storm. Cal Fire, Caltrans and California Highway Patrol are at maximum staff and are on duty.
“Everyone statewide is out there, the fast water teams, the extra engines, everyone is ready, because we don't know where the storm is going to hit the hardest,” said Capt. Brent Pasqua of Cal Fire San Diego.
1,200 vehicles and seven million sandbags have already been prepared for the upcoming “Pineapple Express,” a nickname for the powerful atmospheric river in the tropical Pacific Ocean near Hawaii, which is expected to reach San Diego County by Sunday night.
Rescuers are urging people to walk on their property to identify vulnerable spots before the rains start.
Several inches of rain are expected in a short period of time and an estimated 22 million people will encounter this storm as it passes through California.
