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San Fernando ratifies local emergency after January windstorm; city opens relief centers and seeks reimbursements
Summary
The City Council ratified a local emergency declaration for the January 2025 windstorm and associated wildfires, after staff described damage, utility outages and the city’s relief‑center response. Council instructed staff to pursue reimbursement from state agencies.
The City Council on Jan. 21 ratified a declaration of local emergency tied to the Jan. 7 windstorm and related regional fires, and reviewed the city's response and recovery steps.
City Manager Nick Kimball described the event and its local effects: "During the first 24 hours of the windstorm, there were many downed trees and limbs ... Public works staff removed 72 fallen trees and limbs and responded to 14 electrical and traffic signal incidents," he said. Kimball also said a portion of the city lost power for about 18 hours and much of the area was under a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) alert.
The city opened short‑term community relief centers at Las Palmas Park and Recreation Park to allow residents to charge devices, use restrooms and access water and light snacks while power was restored. Staff said the centers were not used as overnight shelters because the event did not require large‑scale evacuation and Red Cross sheltering services were not activated. Local nonprofits coordinated donations and distribution; one event reportedly reached 200 families and more than 1,100 recipients.
Police and fire mutual‑aid deployments were also described. Kimball and staff emphasized that SFPD officers and dispatchers responded to mutual‑aid requests in hard‑hit communities while local public‑safety services continued to operate. The city will prepare reimbursement documentation for Cal OES and other state funds; staff warned that documentation and reimbursement requests typically take months.
Nut graf: Council unanimously ratified the city's emergency declaration to allow the municipality to pursue state reimbursement for its response costs, and staff described cleanup metrics and community assistance services activated after the storm.
Ending: Council asked staff to return with next steps; finance staff will compile damage and overtime costs for submission to the state.
