A message from Chief Administrative Officer Helen Robbins-Meyer:
County Team,
I hope Tropical Cyclone Hilary’s passage through San Diego did not cause much disruption to your lives or any issues with your property. From initial reports, it doesn’t appear the county as a whole had any widespread trouble.
I want to thank everyone at the County who sprang into action when it became clear this unusual weather event would affect the region. Our Emergency Services team, coordinating with numerous agencies to get ready and respond as needed. Public Works crews, who are always out there 24/7 when bad weather hits. Sheriff’s deputies on the streets. A variety of staff in many other roles monitoring the situation and standing by if things got worse. I appreciate everyone’s dedication to keeping the public safe.
And I thank all of you who took the advice to get your household ready, hunker down, and stay off the roads. Anyone who heeds warnings makes all the responders’ jobs so much easier.
I also want to extend my appreciation to Chairwoman Nora Vargas, who supported our outstanding team in the Emergency Operations Center throughout the event. She is just as thankful for everyone’s efforts.
“I am so impressed by the staff's depth of knowledge and their exceptional ability to manage such a complex operation with remarkable ease," said Chairwoman Vargas. "Their dedication to protecting our residents brings me great comfort.
“I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all our regional response teams for their work preparing for any challenges the storm might have brought our way. We are truly fortunate to benefit from this level of collaboration in our region. Again, I’m immensely grateful to County staff for all they do to keep our region safe.”
The storm turned out not as bad as it had the potential to be. As in so many things, prepare for the worst, hope for the best.
That mindset needs to stay with us in the months ahead. It may seem strange to bring up wildfires when the ground is still soaked, but the risk is still expected to be high this fall, or even beyond. And it’s not just fires. Ventura County had an earthquake yesterday, in the middle of a tropical storm!
So stay ready for anything. Stock up on supplies. Make your disaster plan. Sign your cellphone up to get calls to evacuate. Remind relatives and friends to do the same. Download our emergency app for updates.
And, an important reminder that all County employees are designated disaster service workers. Many of you already have an assigned role in your department during an emergency. There is also a program called Ready Disaster Service Worker coordinated by our Office of Emergency Services to provide training so you can serve in other ways depending on the need. You can read program details and talk your supervisor is you’re interested in participating.
Thanks again to everyone, and let’s keep working together to keep ourselves and our residents safe.
