Gimme a wet break, Mother Nature!

The proclamation was originally declared by County Administrator Monica Nino on Jan. 10. The emergency status, according to Nino, enables the County to be eligible for disaster relief funding, should it be authorized by the federal and state government in the future. The proclamation was sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state Office of Emergency Services and Contra Costa County, and was ultimately added to the governor’s statewide proclamation on Jan. 11. The governor issued the statewide emergency proclamation on Jan. 4. This allows the state to make further requests for federal disaster assistance on the county’s behalf.

“This Local Emergency Proclamation will allow our County to access needed federal and state funds to help us recover from the extensive storm damage,” said Board Chair John Gioia. “County crews have been hard at work protecting lives and property during these intense rains.”

The Contra Costa County Public Works crews made progress tackling emergency calls due to flooding, mudslides and other issues related to the recent storms. That included closing the Byron airport.

Below is the current status of the county maintained roads and an Airport in unincorporated Contra Costa County:

Airport reopens: Byron Airport was reopened Tuesday after flooding and debris was cleared from the runways after being closed to all traffic on Monday.

Marsh Creek Road: Drivers are warned of roadway damage and mudslides. Only local traffic is allowed through the area.

Highland Road: Closed between Carneal Road and Manning Road due to flooding caused by creek overflow. Only local traffic is allowed.

Morgan Territory Road: Closed between 6311 Morgan Territory Road and 9401 Morgan Territory Road due to mudslides. Only residents are allowed in the area. The area from 5477 Morgan Territory Road-5649 Morgan Territory Road is open to traffic.

A series of atmospheric rivers has been pounding the region since late December. The severe storms have toppled trees, damaged roads, eroded creek banks, prompted mudslides and knocked out electrical power.

After those storms brought heavy rain and snowfall, the California Office of Emergency Services is continuing to preposition swift water rescue resources and firefighting personnel statewide in preparation for potential major flooding and debris flow. The prepositioned resources include one team at the Lathrop/Manteca Fire Department from the Lathrop/Manteca Fire Department Swift Water Rescue Team 13.

Newsom announced Wednesday that the White House has added Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties to the Presidential Major Disaster Declaration issued to support the state’s storm response and recovery efforts, joining Merced, Sacramento and Santa Cruz counties initially approved for assistance this weekend.

For concerns about flooding, visit one of the free sandbag stations throughout the County. You’ll need to bring a shovel, but bags and sand are available for free. Find out details regarding County sandbag sites at www.contracosta.ca.gov/sandbags.

To report a clogged catch basin or drainage inlet, call the Public Works Maintenance Division at 925-313-7000 during work hours, and after hours call Sheriff’s Dispatch at 925-646-2441. You can also request help from Public Works via the Mobile Citizens App: https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/7875/Mobile-Citizen or email admin@pw.cccounty.us.

For road closure updates and other important information follow the department on Twitter @cccpublicworks: https://twitter.com/cccpublicworks

The city of Brentwood’’s self-filling sandbag station is stocked and available for residents that may need it at 2300 Elkins Way. It is a 24-hour self-serve station with a limit of 10 bags per household, while supplies last. Residents may report flooding to the Public Works Department, or after hours to Police Dispatch at 925-809-7911. For more information, call Public Works/Operations 925-516-6000.