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San Bernardino County is facing heavy criticism after a Grand Jury claimed that the county was not prepared for the massive winter storm that shook the community in 2023.
Multiple families tell NBC4 that the storm caught everyone off guard, paralyzing the community for weeks.
“There was a lot of old people that were stuck. They couldn’t get food or medicine or things they needed and there was a big need,” said Valerie Heil, a Crestline resident.
On Tuesday, the County Board of Supervisors faced backlash two years later after a Grand Jury report was released that found that the county’s response was inadequate.
The report identified 11 areas of concern including a lack of winter equipment, staff, training, organizational, and poor initial communication with the public.
The county argues that they can’t do enough to be prepared.
“Based on the geography of San Bernardino County, between the wins, rain, snow, heat and earthquakes we have a lot to deal with and we can’t do enough to be prepared,” said Joe Baca Jr., Supervisor of the Fifth District.
Michael Johnstone, vice president of Goodwin and Sons Market recalls being inside his family’s grocery store when the unimaginable happened.
“It’s the biggest storm I’ve ever been through,” said Johnstone. “The memorable part was when we lost our roof. That was a tough day for us and many community members lost their homes and decks.”
As a result of the storm, the county says they have purchased 30 new pieces of machinery, established an emergency response public information system, added training and even embedded a fire division chief within OES.
NBC4 reached out to the county and the Office of Emergency Services for an interview but did not get response.
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