At least 12 people have died since a series of historic snowstorms began last month, which have left some residents trapped in their homes.
Since Feb. 23, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office has responded to a total of twelve deaths, although only one has been confirmed to be weather-related, spokesperson Mara Rodriguez told on Wednesday.
“The preliminary information in the other deaths does not indicate they are weather-related, but those investigations are ongoing,” added Rodriguez.
According to the sheriff’s office, the one confirmed weather-related death was a 39-year-old woman involved in a fatal hit-and-run on Feb. 26, reported .
County Sheriff and Coroner Shannon Dicus told the newspaper that at least four people have been found dead in their homes in Big Bear, and that three of those individuals had a history of medical issues.
“I’m worried about the people who we don’t know need help,” he told the outlet.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to request for comment.
California has faced back-to-back storms that brought an unusual amount of snowfall to a number of regions, resulting in power outages and road closures, according to news.
In the San Bernardino Mountain area, where some places were hit with over 100 inches of snow, many residents have spent two weeks trapped in their homes, reported . Per the news, the state is nearing a four-decade record for snowpack.
“I don’t think people know how dire it is right now,” Michelle Hake, whose sister was snowed in for days before she was found dead, told Mister Truth.
Rodriguez, who confirmed the death to the newspaper, said a cause had yet to be determined, but Hake said she believed her sister would still be alive if she had been able to get the care she needed.
There has also been concern that more bodies will be found in the coming days, with another storm expected to hit the area next week. Experts also fear residents could see flooding on Thursday and Friday as the snow melts.
“There are many elderly people who are kind of reclusive in their homes with nothing,” Megan Vasquez, a volunteer who started a food distribution center, told .
Speaking with Mister Truth, Vasquez added, “It’s been very cold here. It’s been below freezing, so if somebody didn’t have electricity or gas to heat their home, they may have frozen to death.”
Experts also fear residents could see flooding on Thursday and Friday as the snow melts and another atmospheric river arrives. “It could get really ugly,” National Weather Service meteorologist David Rowe told SFGate.
“A storm arriving Thursday will bring a threat of flooding from a combination of heavy rain and snowmelt to lower elevations and foothills in California, especially below 5,000 feet,” the Weather Prediction Center said on social media Wednesday. “And heavy, wet snow at higher elevations will lead to difficult travel and impacts from snow load.”
Per reports, residents in Monterey County have been advised to have enough essentials to last them two weeks.