 On this edition of OES News, we're hanging out with one of Caltrans' most highly trained and specialized crews who do explosive work keeping travelers safe in the Sierra Nevada. After six long years, California finally received what it's been hoping for, rain and snow and lots of it. But excessive rain and snow brings the risk of landslides, flooding, avalanches and the need to take steps to protect life, property and major highways. Lake Tahoe and its major transportation route Highway 50 saw massive snow mounts not seen in years. To keep traffic and the economy flowing to one of the most popular tourist destinations in the state, Caltrans has highly trained and specialized crews in place to get ahead of snow-related dangers like an avalanche. Caltrans' avalanche control crews use their training, expertise and manpower to prevent avalanches with pre-identified trigger points and cannons. Crews are often outside working in the snow, climbing terrain, moving heavy equipment and standing ready to respond when major storms roll through. This winter's powerful storms kept crews especially busy. We weren't thinking, oh this is terrible or anything, we were all ready. We had plenty of manpower, plenty of equipment, everybody was prepared for whatever mother nature was going to throw at us. We've had a couple curveballs during that time period, but my guys, they all adapted and overcame. While steps are taken by Caltrans to prevent avalanches, there is always a possibility of mother nature striking without notice. We recently saw in the headlines travelers that found themselves stuck in the California mountains after an avalanche struck while they were traveling. Luckily, those travelers were rescued and uninjured as they were well prepared for winter weather. Staying calm, having blankets, warm clothing, food, a cell phone with a charge and turning off the engine was instrumental to staying safe in a dangerous situation. Preparing yourself and your vehicle before you travel can be the step that saves your life. The biggest thing that people need to do and unfortunately doesn't always happen is you need to check conditions before you travel. California also has search and rescue crews that are trained for rescues in winter conditions like heavy snow and avalanches. As you can see, California has some of the best trained crews out there doing lots of hard work to keep travelers safe and roadways open, but we must not forget to do our part and prepare before hitting the roads this winter as more storms may still be ahead. Be sure to visit Caltrans at dot.ca.gov for winter travel tips, quick map tool, live road conditions and informative videos. Follow Cal OES at oesnews.com to learn more about efforts statewide to keep Californians safe and what you can do to prepare for a disaster or emergency. Any questions or comments about the video you just watched, be sure to leave your comment below.