 All right. Good morning everyone and for those watching online. I'm Brian Ferguson. I'm deputy director of crisis communication here at Cal OES We've assembled a group of senior leaders across state government today to give you an update on the state's preparedness efforts Around hurricane hurricane Hillary. We're gonna start today with a report from the National Weather Service. Thank you Good afternoon everyone. I'm Courtney Carpenter with the National Weather Service We are currently closely monitoring hurricane Hillary off the coast of Baja, California This will move northeastward inland into Southern California as a tropical storm later this weekend Sunday into Monday We are expecting a rare and dangerous rainfall event with significant flash flooding River flooding mudslides and debris flows as well as the potential for wind damage from strong tropical storm force winds This storm will also bring in the potential for isolated tornadoes across portions of Southern, California In addition, we're expecting life-threatening surf and rip current conditions along the beaches of Southern, California The worst impacts are expected on the east side of the inland mountains and into the desert Southwest Preparations for flooding impact should be rushed to completion today as heavy rainfall is expected to begin Well advanced of the center of the storm Keep up with the latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center your local National Weather Service forecast office And please heed any instructions or orders from local emergency officials. Thank you I'll now pass it on to director Nancy Ward from California Governor's Office of Emergency Services Thanks Courtney I am Nancy Ward director of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services And we're here today because California is threatened by what could be one of the most devastating storms that we've had Hit California in more than a decade Make no mistake This is a very very dangerous and significant storm Heavy rainfall strong winds associated with this storm began today already and will be felt well beyond the center of the storm entering California I've been in near constant contact with Governor Newsom and he has Pretty much told us to lean as far forward as we can in coordinating and reassuring Californians that we're doing all that we can to keep them safe and to respond as quickly as we possibly can the state Operation Center, which is right behind me is activated 24-7 to coordinate those response operations to take resource requests from our local Stakeholders and counties communities across the southern part of this state to ensure that no needs are unmet in their areas Our state has the best trained and experienced local first responders in the country We're proud to have them pre-positioned all across the southern part of this state to ensure that we can Respond as quickly as possible We've pre-positioned high water vehicles with water rescue teams You will hear that we have other resources from my Fellow directors from other state agencies with teams out of their agencies as well all across southern, California We're also working with our utility partners. We have My apologies. I was hearing an echo We've pre-positioned resources we've also working with our utility partners down in the in the southern, California area to ensure that they have what they need and we're in constant Communication there will be power outages make no mistake There will be power outages across southern, California And we want to be sure that we have this close communication with those utility companies to ensure that they can restore power As quickly as they possibly can We also want to ensure that Californians do what they can do to keep themselves safe Signing up for alerts Ensuring that you have a go bag ready To evacuate should you be asked? Making sure that you are in touch with family and friends Elderly neighbors or people with access and functional needs that need their help need your help Excuse me in ensuring that they can get out or have what they need to shelter in place during the storm Don't drive around during the storm. Certainly. Don't drive in moving water Go around barricades or enter areas that you know to be of Vulnerability to your safety And by all means ensure that if you are asked to Evacuate that you do so immediately While the challenges we face over the next several days are great We're positioning ourselves our local governments and our stake emergency response stakeholders to ensure As much of your safety as we possibly can but we need your help to make you as safe as possible And with that I will pass it over to director Carla Nemeth the director of the Department of Water Resources Thank You director Ward I'm Carla Nemeth the director of the California Department of Water Resources The department has activated our state and federal flood operations center And that's where we are monitoring the potential effects of Hurricane Hillary We are participating in daily briefings with our colleagues at the National Weather Service in Hanford, which is Central, California Los Angeles San Diego and Phoenix to cover the the scope of Hurricane Hillary that is approaching we are also in contact with local flood agencies and we have pre-position flood fighting materials things like sandbags and other materials for the for the public in the counties of Los Angeles San Bernardino Ventura Santa Barbara and Orange County we also have a pre-position flood fight materials in Fresno and Kings County and other Central Valley counties as needed the department is also Working with dam operators in Southern, California To make sure those dam facilities are ready to release water as needed People may see Spillway gates open and the release of floodwaters that is a normal flood operations procedure and we anticipate In dams in Southern, California Eastern San Diego County those kinds of facilities may be activated. We are also monitoring debris in basins that can Produce as a result of flash flooding And our we are confident that local flood management agencies and dam operators are ready with the materials They need to clear that out and keep our communities safe If you are someone who tracks the historical nature of these kinds of weather events We did have a decaying tropical storm K last September that caused extensive damage particularly In Santa Barbara County this storm Hurricane Hillary is anticipated to be stronger than that You would have to go back to 1939 since Southern, California last saw a true tropical storm affect Populations that dropped almost eight inches of rain on Mount Baldy in Los Angeles County So given all of that we strongly advise people to stay home if you do not need to be out on the roads Please take yourself out of the equation We need to make sure that all of our folks are kept safe including our first responders So thank you and please be safe over the course of the next 24 to 48 hours with that I would like to introduce Kim Johnson the director of our department of social services director Johnson Thank You director With California Health and Human Services Agency We've mobilized most of the departments within the agency Reaching out to local partners to our license settings caring for some of our most vulnerable Those with disabilities are elders those older adults as well as unsheltered individuals To help ensure that people have access to the services should they need them Remember it is not too late to prepare visit our website at www.chhs.ca Dot gov and download your template for your personal emergency plan to keep you and your family safe This is especially important for those who have access and functional needs Each of us as you've heard can also do our part Please check in on your neighbor connect with the older person in your life and offer support to the person Who might need some additional help? We are absolutely stronger together If you are concerned about the well-being of a loved one residing in one of the state's long-term care facilities That's board and care assisted living skilled nursing Please don't hesitate to reach out to the statewide Long-term care ombuds person that crisis line is available 24 7 and is can be reached at 1-800 2-3-1 4-0 2-4 The team at the Department of Public Health is coordinating with regional medical health disaster Coordinators and proactively engaging with all health facilities including hospitals and nursing homes in areas that are most likely to be impacted to Ensure that they both maintain operations and have sufficient capacity The California Department of Social Services and is in contact with county officials in Southern California and stands ready to support Local sheltering operations as needed Many shelters are currently on standby and being pre with preposition assets to quickly stand up with our partners as needed And finally the emergency medical service authority has assets on standby Including a California medical assistance team to be prepared to augment local capacity and ensure the EMS system is able to respond And with that I'd like to turn it over to Tony Tavares the director of the California Department of Transportation Thank you director Johnson. Good afternoon. I'm Tony Tavares the director for the California Department of Transportation Otherwise known as Caltrans Caltrans has been proactively pre positioning Resources since Friday morning including employees and equipment staging them so that we can respond very quickly to the storm event We have almost 2,000 employees working 12-hour shifts around the clock And we have activated our department operation center here in Sacramento as well as our emergency Operations centers in our districts between Sacramento and San Diego in in between We've also reached out to our construction Contracting industry partners and we have several large medium and small business enterprises on standby Ready to assist our crews if needed Safety that's our highest priority at Caltrans It's my biggest concern for you your families and your loved ones We want to ensure that you are safe through this entire event if you do not need to be on the roadways We are asking you to postpone any of your non essential travel until the peak of the storm passes If you must travel and you encounter water flowing across the roadways Do not attempt to drive through it It takes just a very limited amount of water to wash a vehicle away Out of the abundance of caution Caltrans may close roadways proactively to ensure your safety So please be patient with us as we get through the storm together We're also experiencing right now in real time local flooding in Imperial and Riverside counties And we are taking those precautions and closing those roadways and setting up detours For the latest information on our roadways I'm urging you all please Go to the mobile site. It's called quick map. You can download it for an iPhone or Android It's called quick map one word and you will get real-time information on our roadways Our road conditions can just in and all the issues through the storm event and beyond Once again, if you do not need to be on the roadways, please please postpone your travel Until after the storm passes your safety again is our highest priority and with that I'd like to introduce Antecito or fees our assistant commissioner with our partner agency at the California Highway Patrol Thank You director Tavares. I appreciate that Ladies and gentlemen, I first want to thank the first responders and the people who have been working tirelessly To ensure public safety in the state of California in the wake of hurricane Hillary. Thank you for what you do and for the first responders And local and state partners across the state. Thank you for what you do day in day out Thank you for what you're going to do in the next few days potentially. We want you to be safe With potentially dangerous weather conditions on the horizon including high winds and flooding Power outages mudslides. It's important to take this opportunity For people to make the necessary steps to be safe. This is not a time to be complacent It's a time to take the steps to keep yourself safe and your family safe Speaking of safety, that's what the CHP is all about our mission is to provide the highest level of safety service and security And that's what we're going to do. We too have some recommendations and directly far as just mentioned that But it's worth mentioning a second time because that's how important it is to the public Our recommendation to you is this if you don't need to travel and you're impacted You're living in an area that's impacted by hurricane Hillary. Please stay off the road Stay home be safe. However, if you need to travel, it's absolutely necessary. We're going to ask that you be Vigilant be aware of your surroundings watching out for mudslides down trees flooding The sustained high winds. Those are all concerns to us But if you need to travel, please do so safely And remember two points of recommendation that I'd like to leave with you first of all leave early leave your residents early So they get to your destination safely and efficiently and secondly slow down That's good advice for any day even on a sunny California day But especially the next few days slow down and get to your set destination safely But what I would like to say next is very important I would like the public to listen to what I'm going to say and I can't place enough emphasis on this Director to Boris mentioned it as well. Please if you encounter a roadway that's flooded Absolutely do not attempt to cross that roadway It may seem possible But it's it may seem that there's just a film of water across the roadway But you don't know where that's going to carry you could carry you down to a creek to a river to an Air that you are not reachable to emergency responders Please stay away from flooded roadways and speaking of roadways. Many of our roadways are going to be Barricaded with signs and barricades. That's a sign. They're put there for a reason for you to remain safe Please be smart and do the right thing and don't drive around those barricades Finally power outages been mentioned before if you enter encounter an intersection or an on and off ramp That has no power. We ask that you treat that as you would a four-way stop sign Safely approaches the stop sign or the intersection and navigate through a safely when it's safe to do so The CHP stands ready to assist our partners in serving and protecting the people of California Our resources are made available right now We're taking necessary steps to provide that highest level of safety and service to the public We're going to get it right We're going to do it right and by collaborating with our partner agencies here and across the state We're going to get through this and lastly if you find the need to call 9-1-1 or you need to text 9-1-1 because you need assistance Please do so. We have an army of highly trained professional public safety dispatchers who are there to take your call and assist you in any way possible Thank you for this opportunity. I'm going to turn it over to your Cronor Kaufman with the California military department Thank you assistant commissioner Ortiz We are in a position where we are prepared to support our communities and our partners yours California National Guard service members are very well trained very well highly experienced that these types of Support operations more specifically in this case. We have pre-positioned 22 high-water vehicles to Support where the need may arise and in addition. We also have other capabilities Soldiers airmen who are standing by and will be prepared to respond as the need arises So please rest assured that your California National Guard is ready and is is available to support our partners and communities. I Will be followed by Tamela trail deputy regional administrator region 9 federal emergency management agency. Thank you Thank you colonel Kaufman. I just want to I Need to emphasize some of the things that were said but most of all want everyone to know That FEMA is well aware that this is a very unique storm We are working very closely with the California office of governor's office of emergency services and just so proud to be able to Stand again and work again with Mrs. Nancy Ward former colleague We have the utmost confidence in Callow-e-s and the abilities the capabilities and the capacities to be able to Respond FEMA in this stage. We're going to emphasize on preparedness We've heard it yet, you're not able to hear it enough and that is Now is the time to be prepared and to get prepared and to not just look after oneself but to be able to look after your family members your neighbors your friends and I want to share with you a couple Sites here to help you be better prepared. We have the the WWW ready gov, which is in English and then in Spanish. We have the list. Oh Dot gov the list of California.org will provide preparedness information and tips on how to be better prepared in multiple languages, I Also want to assure you that we have several FEMA employees Who are coordinating with Callow-e-s and monitoring this storm many might be thinking? Yes, we have a thousand FEMA emergency Responders and emergency staff supporting the state of Hawaii We have staff who are dedicated to watching Hurricane Hillary Also by the direction of President Biden He wants us and encourages us to continue to take the whole of government Approach so we will continue to do that as we are Supporting storms all the way east in the Caribbean through the Atlantic through California all the way out to the Pacific We do have a FEMA liaison who is here working in the the state operation Center along with our FEMA Integration team member. They are here also working. We have any our FEMA incident action Management team who is also on standby. That's our national team our national response coordination Center in Washington, DC They're not far away. They may seem far away, but they are up Bright and early and working late to listen to our request We will meet with other federal agencies today to discuss how we can continue to support these efforts and with that I'm going to turn it back over to My colleague, Mrs. Nancy Ward Well, as you can see there's a plethora of agencies and a lot going on To support the Southern, California Communities as best we can but with that we will take some questions Well, thank you so much for joining us today and Again, I hope that everyone understands we need you to do your part in being safe and keeping your communities Your families your friends your neighbors safe as well. Thank you