A massive snowstorm has left some people in Southern California mountain communities stranded.
San Bernardino County is under a state of emergency following back-to-back storms last week. Some mountain communities are dealing with more than 20 feet of snow.
County officials say crews are plowing roads 24 hours a day to make them passable so residents can seek basic necessities. The county serviced about 33 miles of roadways over the weekend. It says 77 miles still need to be serviced.
Yosemite National Park closed indefinitely due record-setting snowfall
The siege of heavy snowfall over the past week has subsided but park officials are still unsure when it will be deemed safe for visitors to return.
Officials said they don't want to give the impression that everyone in the mountain communities is locked down. Some people have reportedly been able to use heavy-duty vehicles to navigate the treacherous conditions.
"I've seen them from the air. They are moving around. Some are able to walk close enough to receive groceries and supplies and things are certainly doing that," said San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus.
The Red Cross has set up shelters at World High School and Redlands East Valley High School for people who can't get to their homes.
The timeline to make all the roads accessible was originally two weeks after the storms. However, Dicus said they expect it to now take one week because additional resources have been brought in to help.
Storm's death toll rises, dumps snow on Northeast
The storm’s death toll rose with additional fatalities reported in Indiana and Michigan, while Kentucky’s governor said at least five people died.
